A Delivery to the Sky
by MangoKat
Summary: COMPLETE! Part 3 of The Postman series. Ghirahim is planning something big that will affect both the sky and land but makes the mistake of disrupting one of The Postman's deliveries. What he didn't realize was that The Postman would follow him even to the sky.
1. The Kidnapping

**Authornote:**

**Hello everyone, sorry for the super-slow update. Work is crazy and I barely have time to write. Well, it's finally here, so get strapped in and prepare for part three of The Postman series! lol Don't forget to read and review! I'll hopefully get the next chapter up a lot sooner than it took for this one!  
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**A Delivery to the sky**

The undeliverable letter

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All would agree that Hyrule was a strange place to live. For the most part it was a quiet and happy country, but occasionally a monstrous villain would attack, leaving the people terrified and paranoid. Even during the times of peace, people rarely travelled outside of their towns and villages, preferring to stay in safety. The fields outside of their towns had many strange and fierce demons and only the bravest and dumbest travelled there. If one was a hero then they stood a good chance of surviving but the average person didn't take the chance.

The Postman was a slight creature who was neither stupid nor a brave hero. He was much too preoccupied with his job to be frightened and rarely even noticed the dangers around himself. Even the most unimpressive person can have unintentional adventures and this is one of his tales.

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The Postman pulled out his last letter of the day and looked down at the name. Saria of the Kokiri. Placing the letter back in the mailbag, he turned towards Kokiri village, whistling jauntily as he ran along. There hadn't been many deliveries that day and if he hurried, he'd finish before noon. He didn't often get afternoons off and knew this would be a good opportunity to get a bit of office work done.

As he entered the tunnel leading to Kokiri village, The Postman paused a second, getting the feeling something was off. Unable to determine exactly what was off, he continued on his way, pushing aside his curiosity.

Normally when The Postman entered Kokiri Village the children would eagerly swarm him, asking questions and wanting stories of the outside world. Sometimes if he had a bit of time, he'd indulge them but for the most part he'd just distract them with a bit of candy and hurry on his way. Today when he entered the village, he was met with the sound of silence. There was no laughter, no childish squealing, no sign of any children at all. Again, The Postman paused.

He glanced around but the village was completely still, the Kokiri obviously gone. He knew it really wasn't any of his business what the Kokiri were up to, so he continued on his way to the Lost Woods.

The second he entered the woods, the quiet seemed like a suffocating veil, no music echoing through the tunnels, just a cold, dead silence. As he navigated through the woods with ease, the only sound were his footsteps, sounding deafening in the echoing tunnels.

When he reached the maze, he zipped through without issue, the sleeping Deku Scrubs not stirring in the least. As he ran up the stairs towards the Sacred Forest Meadow, the giant Moblin guarding the way gave him a bored look. It was leaning on its spiked club as The Postman passed it and it sighed heavily.

Paying the Moblin no mind, The Postman entered the Meadow and immediately saw Saria in her usual spot. She wasn't playing her ocarina like she always was, instead she was sitting knees drawn up to her chin, crying hard. The Postman hesitated at the sight of the tears. He was never good around people who were upset and hoped she'd stop when she noticed him. Trotting across the grove, he pulled out the letter and gave a wave to catch the girl's attention.

"Heyyy!" he yelled out, sounding especially cheerful for her benefit.

Saria looked up at him and wiped at her eyes as he approached. Hugging her arms around her knees, she didn't move when he stopped in front of her and held out the letter.

"I have a letter for you, miss Saria." he announced, giving the letter a slight shake trying to get her to take it. His smile faltered somewhat when she didn't move.

"They're all gone." Saria whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm all alone."

The Postman shifted uncomfortably. "This letter is for you, miss, please accept it."

A few more tears rolled down her cheeks and Saria wiped at them, sniffing loudly. "Where did they go?" she asked quietly. "Why am I the only one left?"

"I don't know, miss." The Postman answered honestly.

"Postman, have you seen any of the Kokiri in your travels outside the forest?" Saria asked, a wild, desperate hope, shining in her eyes.

The Postman gave another uncomfortable fidget. "No, miss, I haven't seen any Kokiri today other than yourself. Please accept your letter."

"Can you find them, postman?" Saria demanded. "You've said you can find anyone!"

The Postman paused a moment then answered. "I cannot; they're gone." he knew this to be true as he always instinctively knew where people were. He'd never had a problem finding anyone no matter where they were on the continent.

Saria's face crumpled as she began to sob earnestly, her small body shaking from her cries. The Postman winced and desperately looked one way then the other, wanting to be anywhere but here.

"Please, miss, just accept you letter...I'm sorry I can't help you."

"But why am I the only Kokiri left?" Saria cried. "What happened to them? Why aren't they here?"

"I don't know." The Postman answered, trying unsuccessfully to push the letter into the girl's hands.

Saria looked up at him again then let out a sharp gasp. She was staring over his shoulder with wide, horrified eyes and despite himself, The Postman turned around.

A figure stood several feet behind him, a strange thin man with flamboyant clothing and short oddly styled white hair. He was leaning against a tree casually, his eyes fixed on Saria only. He smirked at the small girl as she wiped at her tears then began approaching. He brushed past The Postman as if he didn't even see him then stood in front of Saria, hands on slender hips, cocky smirk still in place.

"Well, my dear," the man began. "Your friends have all been taken and you're the only Kokiri left. If the rumours about you are true, you're not like the others; you're far more powerful."

The man's voice was like liquid silk and Saria began to shake, her eyes wide.

"What was it they call you? Forest Sage, wasn't it?" he asked casually. "The only Kokiri with the power to control nature?"

Saria said nothing, her hands clenching tightly in fear.

Amusement seemed to flicker in the man's eyes and he asked. "Do you know who I am, little Kokiri?"

Saria mutely nodded, her nails digging deeply into her palms. Her silent answer seemed to please the man and he let out a short chuckle. "Good." he stated, taking a step closer.

The Postman had never seen this man before and wondered why he frightened Saria so terribly. Was he responsible for the disappearance of the other Kokiri?

"Don't cry, little Kokiri, you won't be alone long." the man informed Saria. "You'll join the others shortly."

Saria let a gasp as the man's hand snaked out and grabbed her by the arm tightly. She gave a cringe and tried to pull away but he simply tightened his hold painfully. As he pulled Saria to her feet, the man turned his violet eyes to The Postman. He gave him a disinterested look as The Postman wasn't anyone important and snorted dismissively. The man then disappeared in a shower of sparkles, taking Saria along with him.

The Postman stared at the empty spot Saria had been then down at the undelivered letter in his hand.

"Oh, foo."

Glancing around the empty meadow, The Postman didn't know where to go to find Saria. He always knew where to go, so he found the whole situation rather disconcerting. Frowning down at the letter, he placed it back into his mailbag then turned and left the clearing with a sigh. As he walked along, he became aware of all the plants and trees beginning to wither, leaves falling around him in a shower.

The giant Moblin with the club seemed perplexed by the falling leaves and kept swinging at them, roaring challengingly. Ducking underneath the wildly swinging club, The Postman ran into the maze which was quickly browning and dying all around him. Even the Deku Scrubs were beginning to wilt a little and The Postman ran all the faster, just wanting to be out of the woods.

When he reached the Kokiri Village, he saw there was no longer any green; everything dried up and completely dead. The silence burned in his ears and The Postman ran out of the village, not liking it one bit. Once he was back in Hyrule field, he was met with the sight of green again. Relaxing back into his usual business frame of mind, he ran across the fields heading for Hyrule Town.

The letter burned in his thoughts, aggravating him to no end and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Saria was gone and he couldn't deliver a letter if he didn't know where to go. Is this what it was like for everyone else? Never knowing where to go? Sighing in frustration, he reached Hyrule Town and crossed the drawbridge, entering town. He reached the postoffice and pulled his keys out of his mailbag and unlocked the door.

Slipping inside, he closed the door after himself and hung up his mailbag and hat on the hook near the door. Removing the letter, he carried it over with him to his desk and took a seat with a frown. Opening the desk drawer, he pulled out an inkpad and stamp never having had to use it before. Dipping the stamp lightly in the red ink, he furrowed his brow as he pressed it down on the letter. When he pulled away the stamp, bold red letters stated 'UNDELIVERABLE: RETURN TO SENDER' across the envelope.

The Postman stared down at the red letters like it was a mark of his shame and hunched his shoulders miserably. In his whole career this was the first letter he'd been unable to deliver. He'd have to face the humiliation of returning the letter, admitting he couldn't find the receiver. Sighing heavily, he picked up the letter, deciding to get it over with as soon as possible. As he headed out the door, he grabbed his hat and locked up, knowing exactly where the sender was.

He left Hyrule Town and headed straight for Kakariko Village, hoping he wouldn't get ragged out over this. Sometimes people or creatures would blame him for the content of their letters or believe he should've been faster and take it out on him, but this was different; this was genuinely his fault.

As he headed up the stairs towards the village, he could hear a commotion ahead. Curious, he sped up a bit and when he got to the top he paused at the sight that met him. The Hero of Time, had a thin figure pinned to the ground and was pounding on him with closed fists, causing the unfortunate figure to squeal and yell in pain. A large group of villagers were gathered around to watch and The Postman could see his brother Haru snickering at the scene.

The Postman hesitantly approached, passing by Link's horse Epona, and immediately recognized the figure as Sakon. The thief couldn't move an inch as Link struck him over and over and was blubbering out apologies as he squirmed uselessly. Link's face was a mask of anger but The Postman noted the hero seemed to be holding back most of his strength. He supposed Link knew it wasn't really a fair fight and was being lenient towards the thief; more concerned with leaving an impression than killing him.

Sakon let out another shrill scream and looked up, his eyes meeting The Postman's. Fear was etched all over his face and he silently mouthed the words 'help me!' desperately. The Postman rolled his eyes at Sakon and held out the letter.

"Hey!" The Postman called loudly. "Mr. Link!"

Link paused, fist still in the air, and glanced up at The Postman in surprise. The Postman shoved the letter directly under his nose and Link had no choice but to take it. Sakon let out a breath of relief as the assault halted and struggled, trying to worm away.

"Hey, you're ruining all the fun!" Haru yelled out with a sour look on his face. "Deliver the letter later!"

The Postman gave his brother a 'look' and said nothing.

"Let me go!" Sakon cried, still squirming.

Link gave him a look of death but did grudgingly allow Sakon up. The thief scrambled away from him in a panic and The Postman reached down a hand to help Sakon to his feet. The moment he touched Sakon's left arm however, the thief let out a shrill cry of pain and pulled away.

"Don't touch it! Don't touch it!" he yelled, clutching his arm to his chest.

Link simply let out a snort at that and turned over the envelope. His eyes fell on the bold, red letters and he turned questioning eyes to The Postman.

"Sorry, Mr. Link, the letter could not be delivered." The Postman explained.

"Couldn't be delivered?" Link repeated, not sure he heard correctly. "You've always delivered to Saria, what's the problem?"

"I don't know where to find her, Sir."

Link cocked his head in question. "She's not in the Kokiri village or the Lost Woods?"

"No, Sir, she's gone."

Link had never known Saria to leave the safety of the woods and felt concern rising. "Did you ask the other Kokiri if they knew where she was?"

"No, sir, they're gone as well."

Link instantly knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. "What? What are you talking about, postman? The Kokiri never leave the forest!"

"The Kokiri have disappeared, Mr. Link and I know I can't find them. They're nowhere I've ever been."

"Are you sure?" Link asked with trepidation. "You're sure you can't find them?"

"Yes sir."

Link knew The Postman had always been able to find anyone, anywhere and if he said they couldn't be found, that didn't bode well.

Link hesitated a long moment then asked. "Are they dead?"

"I don't believe so, sir. Miss Saria was still alive when she was taken."

Link's entire body stiffened. "Taken?" he demanded. "Taken by whom?"

The Postman shifted from one foot to the other and gave a frown. "I did not know him, sir. I've never seen him before."

"What did he look like?" Link demanded.

"Unusual, sir. Tall and thin, had white hair and very pale skin. I don't believe he was from the area."

Link's eyes narrowed to slits. "Ghirahim."

"Ghirahim..." The Postman repeated, committing the name to memory. "You know him, Mr. Link?"

"I know him." Link stated, his expression darkening. "I heard he's been skulking around several of the sky islands."

This interested The Postman. "Sky islands, sir?"

"There's a whole world high above the clouds." Link answered distractedly as he approached Epona. "That's probably why you didn't know how to find the Kokiri."

"Didn't you ever hear the fairytales about the world in the sky?" Sakon asked in disbelief. "Every kid grows up knowing those stories!"

The Postman stared upwards at the sky in wonder. Such a thought had never occurred to him and he squinted, trying in vain to see this strange world above worlds. All he could see were the clouds so he turned his gaze back to Link.

"You've been there, Mr. Link?"

Link was busy preparing Epona for travel and gave a distracted nod.

"Has it always been there, sir?" The Postman asked, still marvelling over the idea.

Link gave a shrug as he tightened his gloves.

"I'm sorry I couldn't deliver the letter, sir, I wasn't aware of this world..."

"Naw, you were just being lazy." Sakon teased, still nursing his arm. "You didn't want to travel all the way up there just for a letter."

The Postman instantly drew back, offended, and Sakon gave him a grin.

Link flashed Sakon a dirty look. "You shut up." he warned. "I'm not done with you yet."

Sakon immediately paled and backed up until he was behind The Postman, eying Link warily.

"Pound him!" Haru yelled from the sidelines. "Get the little creep!"

The Postman frowned at his brother then glanced over his shoulder at Sakon then back to Link.

Link, seeing The Postman's questioning look muttered. "He stole my horse."

"You did break his arm." The Postman pointed out.

"He's lucky that's all I broke!" Link growled. "He's had her for over two months!"

"So? I was only borrowing her for a bit." Sakon stated. "Besides, I took excellent care of her!"

"You made her fat." Link snapped, pointing to the bulging stomach of Epona.

"Well, she really likes carrots..." Sakon commented defensively. "And I don't know why you're so mad in the first place. I did return her!"

"You. Stole. My. Horse." Link ground out from between clenched teeth.

Sakon gave a shrug. "Meh."

Link clenched his fists, obviously itching to use them again but turned his attention back to Epona. "I don't have time for this. I need to find Ghirahim. I'll deal with you another time."

As Link mounted Epona, he looked down at the letter in his hands then held it out to The Postman. "You'll have your chance to deliver this, I promise. Saria and the other Kokiri must be somewhere in the skies. They'll be found."

The Postman accepted the letter uncertainly and gave another glance to the sky. As Link rode off, his face a mask of determination, The Postman bit his lip and looked down at the letter. He exchanged a look with Sakon who was relaxing now that the hero was gone from sight. The thief gave him a grateful grin.

"Thanks, darling, you've saved me again!"

The Postman didn't answer, his gaze fixed intently on the sky. If Link was correct, then Saria was somewhere above the clouds. He technically knew where she was now, so did he really have a reason not to attempt delivery? He gave a frown, not knowing how one would get to this strange sky-world. After a moment, he turned his gaze to the thief.

"Sakon?"

"What?" Sakon replied, wincing as he tried to move his arm.

"How do you get to the sky?"

Sakon paused. "Are you seriously going to try to deliver that stupid letter?"

"It's my job." The Postman stated. "Mr. Link still wants the letter delivered."

"I think he meant when he rescues whoever it is, not for you to go gallivanting after some villain." Sakon pointed out.

"A postman has to be diligent." The Postman answered. "The letter was supposed to be delivered today so it's already going to be late. I don't want to get a bad reputation for being late all the time."

Sakon let out a snort, knowing The Postman had already made up his mind. "You're incorrigible."

"Have you heard of any ways to get to the sky?"

"No." Sakon answered truthfully. "Other than strapping yourself to a flock of seagulls, I have no idea."

The Postman sighed heavily and glanced over at the quickly dispersing crowd. "Come on, let's get your arm fixed. My brother might have a potion you can have."

As they headed across town in silence, The Postman knew he had to find a way to get to the sky-world somehow. A whole world unexplored and unknown to him, made a deep, long-forgotten desire rise in him. He had to see it. He had to find Saria.

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**Reviews make the author happy**


	2. A Deal is Made

**Authornote:**

**So here is chapter two of A Delivery to the Sky! I got this one up faster than i thought i would and hopefully chapter three will be up early next week. Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews, you guys are wonderful and I'm glad you liked the first chapter! :D Please don't forget to read and review!  
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**A Delivery to the Sky**

A Deal is Made

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Sakon let out a hiss of pain as Anju maneuvered his arm and then let out a groan as she felt along the break. Anju gave him a kind smile and shook her head.

"Big baby." she teased. "I'll get you a potion."

As she left the room to retrieve it, Haru glowered down at the thief, obviously not wanting him in the house. Sakon was seated at the kitchen table, trying his best to look pathetic and helpless but Haru wasn't buying it. He kept glaring back and forth between his brother and the thief, but surprisingly enough didn't say anything. When Anju returned, she handed the potion to Haru then quickly left the room again as the kettle began whistling. Haru set the potion in front of Sakon, then took the seat opposite, still scowling.

Sakon gave an awkward cough then reached out and uncorked the bottle. As he drank, he visibly relaxed, the potion's effects immediate. He let out a breath of relief once his arm was healed and gave Haru a grateful nod.

"Thanks."

Haru's scowl deepened. "You can thank, Anju." he said just as Anju returned carrying a tray of tea. "She was the one who took pity on you."

Sakon gave Anju a somewhat sleezy grin as she handed him a cup of tea then leaned back comfortably in his chair. The Postman, who stood by the window, had been silent the entire time and Anju gave him nudge, holding out a cup of tea. He stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment, having been lost in thought, then accepted the offered cup gratefully.

"Thank you."

Anju simply smiled and took a seat at the table with her own cup. The Postman gulped down the hot tea with a wince then turned his attention to Sakon.

"Sakon, you have certain...connections around the provinces, don't you?"

Sakon picked at his nails and gave a dismissive shrug. "Don't know what you're talking about. I'm a model citizen, I don't consort with shady characters."

The Postman crossed his arms and Sakon flashed him a cheeky grin. "Yeah, I have a few connections. It depends what you're looking for.

"So you know people who deal in unusual items?" The Postman questioned.

"The people I know ALL deal in strange and usuals things." Sakon commented. "Can you be a bit more specific?"

The Postman glanced back out the window and pointed upwards. "Something that might get me to the sky."

Sakon hesitated a moment as he thought about it. "I might know a few people."

Haru narrowed his eyes at his brother suspiciously. "Are you referring to getting high? Cause I swear if you're referring to drugs, I will break your face!"

The Postman spun around in surprise. "Of course I'm not into-"

"Hey, that's an idea!" Sakon cried. "I know a few people for that too! Maybe then you wouldn't be such a bore!"

Ignoring that comment, The Postman changed the subject and turned to Haru. "Is Jaru coming by this weekend?"

"Why?" Haru asked.

"I need him to take over my route again. I have a letter to be delivered out of province."

"Why aren't you asking me to take over for you?" Haru demanded. "I'm available.."

"No." The Postman immediately answered. "You're never taking over my route again."

As Haru's expression turned downright ugly, Anju quickly gathered up the empty cups and left the room, not wanting to listen to another rant.

"And what makes Jaru any better than me?" he growled, clenching his fists. "We're twins and therefore we're interchangeable."

The Postman shook his head. "Jaru is more responsible than you. He doesn't throw mail in the garbage."

"I made one little mistake and now you're going to hold it over my head for all eternity!" Haru yelled. "I've already apologized for that so let it drop!"

The Postman frowned at him. "No."

"Look, okay, I'll take over your route and if I make one single mistake, you can ban me from ever touching your mail again!"

"No."

"Ugh, you're impossible!" Haru cried in frustration. "Give me the chance! You're my brother!"

The Postman crossed his arms. "Why do you want to so badly? You hate delivering mail."

Haru averted his gaze. "...I kinda need some money..."

The Postman's brows knit together as he gave his brother a questioning look. "Why?" he asked. "Anju doesn't charge you for living with her, what do you need money for?"

Haru rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, his face reddening. "I..., um need to buy an engagement ring..."

The Postman's eyes widened in surprise but Sakon grinned widely. "Aw, I guess that means I'll have to stop hitting on your girl." he stated, then paused a moment. "...who am I kidding? She's hot now and she'll be hot when she's married..."

The Postman looked a bit concerned. "Haven't you only known her for a few months?" he asked.

"So?" Haru snapped.

"Anju has had a hard life, just keep that in mind. Make sure you're certain first."

Haru gave him a look of death. "She's pregnant."

The Postman's eyes widened. "...oh."

"I want to marry her before her father finds out. I love her, but I don't have the money for an engagement ring...Give me the job."

The Postman still looked uncertain but did seem to be wavering. "If I hire you, you will deliver each and every letter no matter who or where it's for?"

"I will."

"No damaged or discarded letters?"

"I will keep every letter crisp and even deliver to Ganondorf himself if I have to. I can do this."

The Postman hesitated and seemed to be thinking it over. Sakon shook his head in amazement.

"By the goddesses." he muttered. "Just give him the job. Stop being so psychotic."

The Postman gave a heavy sigh. "Fine, but this the last chance I give you."

Just then, Anju returned, humming to herself and Haru quickly placed a finger to his lips in warning. Sakon gave him a mischievous grin and leaned far back in his chair.

"Soooo, Anju." he began slyly. "What do you see in this big brute? He's awfully crass for a pretty little thing like you, isn't he? You should find someone better, someone who knows how to treat a woman."

Haru's expression turned murderous but Anju simply giggled. "Haru's very sweet." she explained. "Strong and handsome too!"

She smiled up at Haru who had gone three different shades of red.

Sakon let out a snort. "Well, sure, if you like the muscle-headed types. Most woman prefer the slender, bald-headed type in my experience."

"That arm can be broken again." Haru stated, calmly.

"Point taken."

The Postman set his key-ring down on the table. "I have to get going, Haru. I'm not sure how long I'll be this time."

"Going already?" Anju asked. "You just got here! Won't you stay for supper?"

"Sorry, miss Anju, I have a letter I need to deliver."

Sakon let out a dramatic sigh, as he would have gladly stayed for free food, and got to his feet with a stretch. As they headed towards the door, The Postman tipped his hat politely to Anju.

"Goodbye, miss Anju."

Sakon gave one last, obvious leer to Anju then winked at her as he ducked out the door after The Postman.

Haru exchanged a look with Anju. "If that man ever comes into this house again, I'll castrate him."

Anju simply laughed.

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The Postman stood, letter in hand outside the house with Sakon by his side.

"So what sort of item are you looking for?" Sakon asked.

"I don't know." The Postman admitted. "Something that will get me to a sky-island."

"Well, I know a guy who has a canon..."

The Postman didn't look impressed.

"Okay, scratch that. We could speak to my uncle Guru Guru, I suppose. He's travelled quite a bit in his lifetime. He's a little bit screwy now but he's still good for information."

The Postman glanced towards the windmill, knowing exactly whom Sakon spoke of. "He knows about the sky-world?" he asked skeptically.

"You'd be surprised how many pots my family have their hands in." Sakon replied. "Sure he's been weird ever since The Hero of Time messed with his head but he knows people and places I don't."

The Postman gave a nod as he followed after the thief towards the windmill. Sakon gave a lazy stretch then said.

"I figured the least I could do is help you out with this. I kinda owe you like three times now."

"Five actually." The Postman responded.

Sakon crinkled his nose at him. "It's not that many!"

"Gorons, fire, demon, prison, Mr. Link." The Postman listed off.

"Well, okay then, five." Sakon conceded. "But I didn't think you'd keep track of them!"

The Postman shrugged indifferently as they walked up the stairs to the windmill. Sakon opened the heavy, wooden door and immediately loud, frantic music filled the air. Once they entered, The Postman's eyes fell on the centre of the room where a moving platform spun around and around. It seemed to spin at the same delirious pace as the music and Sakon didn't hesitate to jump onto it. It spun around a few times before Sakon jumped off to the other side of the room.

The Postman had never liked the windmill with its crazy music and spinning parts. To him the music sounded like it was pulling at his mind, trying to fracture it until he was like the poor unfortunate man playing it. Guru Guru was a small, bent old man with an unkempt beard and sad eyes. He always looked like he was lost in memories or thinking of some tragic situation. Whenever The Postman had a letter to deliver to im, Guru Guru would stare at him with angry, crazed eyes as he retold his woes at the hand of Link.

"Come on!" Sakon ordered impatiently from the other side of the room.

The Postman hopped up onto the spinning platform and jumped off just a moment later beside Sakon.

Sakon turned his attention to the man playing the organ grinder and gave a bright grin. "Hey, uncle!" he greeted casually. "How are things spinning today?"

"Grrrrrrrr." Guru Guru snarled. "I'll never forget what happened tha-"

"Yeah, yeah." Sakon interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Evil ten-year-olds and all that. I know the story."

Guru Guru blinked heavily as if coming out a trance and focussed his gaze on Sakon. "Oh! Sakon, it's you!" he commented.

"I need some information, uncle."

Guru Guru seemed a bit disconcerted but gave a nod all the same. "What information?"

"You remember all those stories about the sky-world you used to tell me as a child?"

Guru Guru nodded.

"Do you know how to get to the sky-islands?"

Guru Guru scratched at his chin as he thought, momentarily stopping the music. The silence which filled the windmill was hundreds of times worse than the music and The Postman shifted uncomfortably.

"Hmm, now that is a difficult question. Why do you want to know?" Guru Guru finally asked.

"A owe a friend a favour." Sakon replied.

"I see." Guru Guru stated, his eyes going distant. "This information I do not know. Go ask my brother."

Sakon frowned. "Why?"

"I believe he's been to the sky and maybe even as far as the moon. I've heard rumours he has many children that are protected and raised on the moon's surface. If anyone would know how to get to the sky-islands, it would be him."

"I'll ask him." Sakon said with a nod. "Thank you uncle."

Guru Guru held out his arms. "Come give your uncle a hug before you go!"

Looking extremely awkward, Sakon gave his uncle a quick hug then headed for the door without another word. The Postman followed after him and it wasn't until they were back outside that he realized what Sakon had done. The thief was shoving a fat wallet up his sleeve as they walked away and The Postman gave him a disapproving look.

"You stole from your mentally ill uncle." The Postman stated.

Sakon gave a shrug. "His loss, my gain."

The Postman frowned at him then asked. "Who is your other uncle we have to visit?"

Sakon seemed a bit uncomfortable. "My other uncle is The Happy Mask Salesman." he replied. "If you think I'm the black sheep of the family, it's nothing compared to what he gets up to!"

The Postman had had several dealings with The Happy Mask Salesman and knew although the man appeared friendly in exterior, there was also something off about him. Something dark and sinister.

"I'm not sure where he is at the moment." Sakon said as they crossed town. "He travels a lot."

"He's back in his shop in Hyrule Town." The Postman replied. He'd just delivered a letter that morning to the Mask Shop.

Sakon let out a heavy sigh. "You're lucky I owe you." he commented as they left the village. "He's creepy and also doesn't like me."

The Postman suspected there was probably a very good reason for that but didn't say anything. As they walked down the stairs, The Postman glanced over at Sakon. "Don't steal from him, please."

Sakon's eyes widened in genuine horror. "Do you think I'm crazy? I would not steal from him! People that do tend to meet unfortunate endings. Just because I'm related doesn't mean he won't do anything to me!"

The Postman gave him a thoughtful look then asked. "He did something to you, didn't he?"

It was obvious Sakon was genuinely afraid and The Postman was curious.

"Let's put it this way," Sakon said. "He once babysat me when I was five. He gave me a mask to play with."

"...oh."

Sakon gave another shudder as they reached Hyrule field and they crossed the short distance between the two towns without a word. Sakon trailed behind, forcing The Postman to slow down much to his annoyance and he still looked troubled as if remembering something horrible. Once they were actually in Hyrule Town, Sakon slowed down even further until he was walking at a snail's pace. The Postman gave him a questioning look and Sakon let out a deep breath.

"I should probably mention I'm kind of banned from the mask shop..."

The Postman let out a heavy sigh like it was only to be expected.

"I accidentally broke one of his masks the last time I visited and he had a conniption. I really hope he's forgotten about that..."

"Mmm." The Postman replied dismissively. "Will he still give you the information?"

"I dunno, maybe, but he'd kinda weird so I can't guarantee anything."

The Postman gave a nod as Sakon opened the shop door and they entered without another word. The shop was dimly lit and somewhat dusty but what really drew the eye was the merchandise. Masks of every colour lined the walls, some extravagant with bright feathers and sequins while others were chopped crudely out of wood looking somewhat deranged from the distorted expressions. The Postman stared at the masks curiously as he always did but Sakon approached the counter without even glancing at them.

Sakon grinned brightly to match The Happy Mask Salesman's but The Postman noted his was a bit strained. The Happy Mask Salesman himself stood quietly and calmly behind the counter, hands folded as he watched them approach. He was almost completely shadowed and his eery grin was even wider than Sakon's, his teeth shining in the dark.

"Hi, uncle!" Sakon greeted, leaning casually on the counter. "How's business?"

It may have been The Postman's imagination but he could have sworn he saw The Happy Mask Salesman's eyes glint red for a second but when he blinked, everything was normal.

"I told you to never return to my shop, dear boy." The Happy Mask Salesman said, his smile never wavering.

"Yeah, yeah." Sakon answered, rubbing a finger idly across a mask on the counter. "I just need to ask you something."

The Happy Mask Salesman pulled the mask away from Sakon and set it on a shelf behind him. "This mask is not for you." he stated.

"All your masks are for sale, why would you care who buys one?"

"As I said, this is not for you. Every mask finds it's way to their intended person one way or another."

The Happy Mask Salesman then turned his attention away from Sakon as if dismissing his very presence and focussed his gaze on The Postman.

"Hello, postman." he greeted. "Did you have something for me today?"

"No, sir, I'm here with Sakon."

This seemed to amuse The Happy Mask Salesman and he chuckled lightly as if he knew something they didn't. "I see, postman, and what is it you need of me?"

"Hey! What about me?" Sakon protested. "I came here to ask you a question!"

"No, I don't believe so." came the response. "It was really you who had the question, wasn't it, postman?"

"Yes, sir."

The Happy Mask Salesman cocked his head curiously then asked. "What is it you've come to ask me?"

The Postman held up the letter. "This letter has to be delivered to someone on one of the sky-islands. I have no way to get there."

"I see, that is a problem."

"Are you able to help me, sir? I'd be very grateful if you could."

The Happy Mask Salesman scratched at his chin a moment, eery grin stretching even further. "Hmmm, I could do that for you I suppose, but I don't do favours. You'll have to do something for me in return."

The Postman hesitated knowing very well the man's reputation. "What did you have in mind?" he asked cautiously.

"Not much." The Happy Mask Salesman replied casually. "I just want you to deliver something for me."

Sakon's eyes widened. "Don't do it!" he hissed. "We'll go to someone else. Do not do deliveries for him!"

"I'll do it." The Postman answered, not looking at Sakon. "I deliver for everyone."

The Happy Mask Salesman raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to ask what it is?"

"No, sir."

The Happy Mask Salesman gave another chuckle, this one sounding genuinely amused. "It's nothing too serious." he assured, reaching under the counter. He pulled out a mask and set it in front of The Postman. "It's just a mask."

Sakon's grin completely disappeared now. He stared down at the mask with a look that could only be described as fear. "We're not going to deliver that for you! I'm your nephew, and you are not using me for one of your schemes!"

"The request is not yours, nephew. My deals are none of your concern."

Sakon reached out and grabbed The Postman by the arm. "You don't want to get wrapped up in this." he said. "We shouldn't have come. I have other connections we can explore."

The Postman stared down at the mask thoughtfully. "Who do you wish to have it delivered to, sir?"

"A man by the name of Gaepora."

"Where can I find him?" The Postman asked.

"There is a large sky-island by the name of Sky-Loft which you'll be sure to pass in your travels. I want you to give the mask to the man Gaepora who is the headmaster there. Tell him it is a gift."

The Postman gave a nod. "Yes, sir, you can count on me."

The Happy Mask Salesman seemed pleased indeed and his grin stretched to the point of looking painful. He pushed the colourful mask into The Postman's hands who stared down at it a moment, the mask seeming to pulse with some sort of life.

"The people of Sky-Loft use giant birds called Loftwings to get from place to place." The Happy Mask Salesman explained. "These birds instinctively stay above the clouds and if one were to be captured and brought down, it would fly straight up into the clouds the moment it was released."

"Do you have one of these birds?" The Postman asked.

"Alas, no, I'm just a simple salesman. I came across an egg in my travels several years ago but I traded it to an interested party. Perhaps you could find the man I traded it to?"

"Who was it, sir? Did you know him?"

"A young man several years ago came to me with a mask to trade. The mask was quite a unique specimen and the egg was a fair trade for it."

"Well, who was it?" Sakon demanded.

The Happy Mask Salesman almost seemed wistful for a moment. "A young man from the desert; his name was Ganondorf."

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**Reviews make the author happy**


	3. Fun in the Desert

**Authornote:**

**Wow, i actually got this chapter up by when i wanted! I should have the next one up by the weekend if all goes well. To my reviewers, thank you so much, everyone had such nice things to say! :D You're all fantastic, thanks a bunch!**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Fun in the Desert

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The Postman held the mask tightly in one hand and the letter in the other as he left the maskshop. Sakon followed at his heals looking troubled and it wasn't until they reached Hyrule Field that he spoke.

"You are really, really stupid." he commented, flashing the mask an uneasy look. "You're going to die a horrible, painful death and it will be your own fault!"

The Postman said nothing.

"I went to my uncle for information not to be recruited into one of his schemes! If you deliver that mask, something horrible will happen; I know it!" Sakon said irritably. "He's setting you up for something, I just haven't figured out what yet. He's psychotic, why else would he send you to Ganondorf?"

"Perhaps he was telling the truth." The Postman replied. "What if Ganondorf really does hold the key to getting to the sky-world?"

"If that's the case then you're shit out of luck." Sakon said with a shrug. "Have you forgotten Ganondorf wants you dead? That he'll kill you horribly?"

"Maybe he will but I don't have a choice in the matter. Other leads you have would take too long to explore; I need to get this delivered as soon as possible."

"So, you're going to waltz right up to Ganondorf and ask to borrow his secret, magical flying bird? I'm so sure that'll go over well."

"You don't have to come, Sakon." The Postman pointed out. "I can manage on my own."

Sakon glowered at him. "You're stupid."

"Thank you for your help, Sakon. I do appreciate it."

"Stupid."

The Postman gave a heavy sigh and turned towards the north. "Goodbye, Sakon."

Sakon stopped following after The Postman and stared after him as he sped up to a run and then scowled. "You're going to die!" he called after him.

If The Postman heard, he gave no indication, his eyes focussed intently ahead as he crossed the field.

Sakon watched The Postman disappear over the horizon then let out a sigh and began following.

"Stupid." he muttered to himself.

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As The Postman crossed the fields, he noticed something was very, very wrong. When he'd gone into Hyrule Town, the fields had been lush and green but now the grass was brown and it crunched under his feet. The trees were shrivelled and leaves blew around him in a curtain of brown and orange. Everything around him looked like a barren wasteland and he wondered if the Kokiri's disappearance had anything to do with it.

The Field was normally over-run by monsters of every kind but now the monsters he passed seemed listless and depressed. Even the Poe by the entrance to Gerudo Valley didn't bother appearing to heckle him.

When The Postman crossed the bridge to the Gerudo Valley he noticed the river was no more than a trickle far below. Absently he wondered how it could have vanished so fast but pushed the thoughts aside as he approached Gerudo territory. He passed by the magical sword he had left stabbed into a rock without so much as a glance and kept his eyes trained ahead. The closer he got to the desert, the hotter it became and when he reached the Gerudo Fortress, he was rather disconcerted to see it empty. There was no one is sight at all and spears and weapons were lying strewn about the ground like they'd left in a hurry.

The Postman passed by the deserted fortress and entered the desert which seemed much hotter and intense than the two months prior when he'd lived there. The heat was almost choking and he noticed the usual magical barrier protecting the Gerudo City was gone. Ganondorf had never let the barrier drop as far as he'd known and The Postman entered the city without any problem.

Upon his arrival, he quickly saw that every Gerudo was in the city and they were in the middle of some sort of calamity. There was fighting on every street corner, the normally quiet city awash with screams and arguments. The Gerudos were much too preoccupied to notice him as he ran by and he made it to the castle without pause.

The handles on the door were hot to the touch and nearly burnt his hands as he pulled it open. He knew Ganondorf was in his throne room and ran through the deserted halls straight for where the Gerudo king resided. When he reached the throne room, he stared long and hard at the door for a moment before slowly pushing it open a crack.

Ganondorf was slouched in his throne, chin in hand looking both irritated and troubled about something. His red hair was mussed as if he'd been running a hand through it and he stared down at his hand as it tapped listlessly on the armrest. His mind was obviously worlds away and he didn't see The Postman even when he stood directly in front of him.

"Mr. Ganondorf?" The Postman hesitantly questioned.

Ganondorf's eyes snapped up to him and instantly a hate so fierce crossed his face, The Postman backed up a step.

"YOU!" Ganondorf growled, drawing his sword.

He was to his feet and had swung at him so fast, The Postman barely had time to dodge. He then jumped away as Ganondorf swung at him a second time then a third. Ganondorf followed right after him, his face a mask of hate and stabbed at him a forth time then a fifth. The Postman was much too fast for him however, and none of the attacks touched him.

"Stay still so I can kill you!" Ganondorf ordered, furiously.

"Er...I'd rather not, sir." The Postman responded, dodging another flurry of attacks.

Ganondorf charged after him, swinging like a madman but The Postman continued to dodge and jump out of the way every time. Ganondorf was getting more and more angry and began shooting blasts of energy at him as well. The Postman rolled out of the way of a blast and then ducked as Ganondorf swung at his face.

"Why won't you die?" Ganondorf snarled. "Stop moving around, you coward!"

"I have something I need to ask you, Mr. Ganondorf." The Postman said, jumping away from both another blast and a swing of the sword.

"I don't care what you have to say!" Ganondorf hissed from between clenched teeth. "You betrayed me and I will kill you, you worthless worm!"

The Postman jumped backwards from a particularly vicious swing and continued to back away.

"DIE!" Ganondorf snarled.

"I apologize, sir, but you did fire me and I did tell you I didn't know how to use a sword much less a magical sword..." he pointed out, rolling out of the way as Ganondorf jumped at him.

"Would you stop moving?" Ganondorf bellowed out angrily. "Stop making this so difficult!"

"Sorry, sir." The Postman responded, jumping away from another stab.

Ganondorf swung at The Postman's head and attacked over and over until finally, after several minutes of continuous attacks, he paused to catch his breath. Ganondorf's eyes were full of hate as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing heavy and ragged, power crackling around him in his fury. The Postman, who now stood on the other side of the room, shifted uncomfortably under the gaze.

"Fine." Ganondorf relented, eyes still boring into The Postman. "What do you want?"

"Well, sir, there was something I was hoping you could help me with." The Postman said, instantly going into business mode. "I have a delivery to make but I'm having a bit of trouble getting it to the recipient."

"And why should I care about any of this?"

The Postman cautiously took a step closer. "I need to deliver a couple things to the sky-islands but I have no way to get there." he explained. "I was told you might be able to help..."

Ganondorf was incredulous. "Why would I help you?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I was told that several years ago you came into possession of a giant bird called a Loftwing?"

"Who told you that?" Ganondorf demanded, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Where did you get that information?"

"Someone." The Postman answered evasively.

Ganondorf's eyes settled on the mask in The Postman's hand. "Indeed." he stated.

"Since I have no other way to get there, Mr. Ganondorf, I was hoping you might lend me your Loftwing?"

"Not a chance." Ganondorf snapped. "For all I care, you can rot in a pit somewhere. I wouldn't lend you the rope to hang yourself with."

The Postman took another couple steps forward. "I'm sorry for the way things turned out but I did warn you I didn't know how to use a sword..."

Ganondorf gave him another look of hate. "I will kill you." he stated. "Just because I'm humouring you at the moment, doesn't mean I won't eviscerate you. You're just lucky I exhausted most of my power before you got here."

"Understood, sir."

Ganondorf leaned on his sword as he stared down at The Postman distastefully. "Was it the mask salesman who told you about the Loftwing?"

"Maybe."

Ganondorf's eyes settled on the mask again. "And who is that mask intended for?"

"Sorry, sir, but that's really none of your business."

Ganondorf gave him a look of death. "You're really pushing it, postman." he informed him. "Tell me this, is the mask salesman planning something I should be aware of? Should I move my Gerudos?"

For the most part, villains were aware of one another and tried not to cross each other. It was one thing to have the Hero of Time after you but to add another villain as well just added too many variables.

"I wouldn't know, sir, I didn't ask."

"Is he responsible for everything that's been happening?" Ganondorf demanded. "What did he do?"

"Do what, sir?"

"My lands have been cursed." Ganondorf said. "Every plant and tree have died and the wells have gone dry. My people are going to perish if I don't fix this. Tell me now, postman, what did he do?"

"I really don't know, sir, but it's not just Gerudo territory that's affected; it's everywhere."

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

"Everywhere I've been today has been the same way; the water and plants are disappearing. It started this morning when the Kokiri were taken. Perhaps it's their absence that caused it?"

"Kokiri..." Ganondorf said, pondering a moment. "The little forest children?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm, I used a little Kokiri in one of my plans about ten years ago. Her name was Sara or Sarrie or something like that..."

"Saria, sir and she was taken as well. All of the Kokiri are somewhere in the sky-world and I was looking for Saria."

"The mask is for that green-haired brat?"

The Postman didn't answer.

"I see..." Ganondorf stated, pondering a moment. "Who took the Kokiri? Was it the mask salesman?"

"It was a man names Ghirahim, sir. He took them to the sky-world."

"I know who Ghirahim is and he'll kill you if you get in the way of his plans." Ganondorf paused a moment in thought. "Hmm, perhaps that isn't such a bad thing..."

The Postman fidgeted a bit but didn't answer.

"You believe the Kokiri are the cause of the curse?" Ganondorf asked.

"I couldn't say, Mr. Ganondorf, it's only what I've observed."

"My Gerudos only have enough food and water for a week. After that, we'll have no choice but to take what we can from Hyrule and the other lands. I've tried every spell I can think of but nothing is working. Tell me honestly, are the Kokiri involved in this?"

The Postman wasn't sure what to say so he said nothing, simply giving the Gerudo a shrug.

"Let me see that mask a moment, postman."

"No." The Postman replied, shaking his head. "It is not for you, sir."

"What does it do?"

"I don't know, Mr. Ganondorf, I never asked."

Ganondorf stared long and hard at the mask. "That mask has a strange sort of evil lingering about it. Whatever is that salesman scheming?"

"I don't know, sir, I'm just a postman. It was none of my business to ask."

"Indeed." Ganondorf responded. "Whatever it is, I'm sure the results will be amusing to watch."

The Postman adjusted his hold on the mask and Ganondorf stared down at him with an thoughtful frown. "Come here a moment, postman." he ordered.

"Um, no offence, sir, but I don't think I will."

Ganondorf gave a snort. "You're a bit smarter than I took you for." he commented. "But you're still a moron for daring to return."

Deciding to change the subject, The Postman took another step closer. "May I borrow your Loftwing, sir?"

"No." Ganondorf responded, lashing out unexpectedly. The Postman jumped backwards but wasn't quite fast enough, the sword leaving a very light scratch across his arm.

Ganondorf seemed disappointed and let out a sigh as The Postman backed far away from him.

Dabbing at the cut with a finger, The Postman gave a slight wince. "It would be very much appreciated if you would, sir..."

"I'd rather kill you."

"And if you don't mind, sir, I'd prefer you didn't."

Ganondorf let out another sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you planning on rescuing the Kokiri once you find them?"

"No, sir, that's not my job."

"Then you're useless to me." Ganondorf responded. "I'm more interested in saving my people than helping you deliver your mail."

Ganondorf paused a moment as he thought something through. "You're not going to save the Kokiri but you're still going to be tracking them down, is this right?"

"Yes, sir."

"If you find the Kokiri, I imagine you'll come across Ghirahim then?"

"Probably, sir."

Ganondorf hesitated again as he considered this. "If I were to give you a letter for Ghirahim, you would deliver it?"

"Yes, sir, I would."

"You will tell him who it's from and that he'd better listen to what it says." Ganondorf ordered.

"If you wish it, sir."

Ganondorf gave him a hard look. "Understand this, postman, if it weren't for these extreme circumstances, I'd skewer you but at this time you have a use. Just this once, I will let you live, but next time you will not be so lucky!"

"Understood, sir."

Ganondorf sheathed his sword and approached the nearby table, picking up a quill and parchment. He scribbled for quite a few minutes, even turning the parchment over and continued on that side, his writing small and neat. When he was done, he carefully folded the paper over and placed it into an envelope.

"Here." he said, gruffly, holding it out to The Postman.

The Postman hesitated and stared at the letter uncertainly. Ganondorf was giving him an impatient look, so he pushed aside his distrust and took a step closer. Nothing happened so he very cautiously approached, keeping his eyes on Ganondorf warily. Once he was before the Gerudo king, he reached out to take the letter. The moment his fingers closed over it, Ganondorf grabbed him around the wrist moving as quick as lightening. He smirked down at The Postman with nothing short of malice.

"Gotcha."

The Postman's eyes widened and he gave a useless tug to his arm as Ganondorf tightened his grip painfully. The villain met his eyes directly then reeled back his arm, expression determined. He brought his fist down hard into The Postman's stomach, causing the smaller man to let out a gasp of surprise. Ganondorf then released him, allowing him to crumple to the ground.

"There." Ganondorf stated, standing over him. "Now I feel much better."

The Postman laid at his feet clutching at his stomach and Ganondorf dropped the letter down on top of him.

"I still want you to deliver that." he informed him.

The Postman gave a slight wheeze then slowly sat up, still seeing spots in his vision. He picked up the fallen letter then the mask and stared up at the scowling Gerudo uneasily.

"Keep in mind how easily I could have killed you just now."

The Postman didn't move and didn't answer.

Ganondorf turned away from him and took a few steps towards the door. "Follow." he ordered. "I will lend you my Loftwing."

The Postman slowly got to his feet, his legs feeling a bit wobbly and obediently followed Ganondorf, making sure to keep his distance. Ganondorf led him through the castle silently and into a section of the castle The Postman had never visited. After a few minutes they came to a large wooden door and Ganondorf stopped in front of it. The Gerudo king paused a moment, staring down at the fallen chains and lock that used to be barring the door and narrowed his eyes. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he shoved open the door.

The room was enormous, easily the biggest room The Postman had ever seen, the ceiling a hundred feet above, with only a skylight for light. A huge cage stood in the direct centre of the room, the metal glinting in the sparse sunlight from above. The main attraction of the room however, was the large pink bird within the cage, its golden eyes focussed directly on them.

The Postman gaped a moment before he noticed the cage door was open and someone was on its back. Ganondorf let out a roar of outrage and unsheathed his sword just as The Postman saw who it was. Sakon grinned down at him as he coaxed the bird out of the cage, obviously quite proud of himself. Once it was outside of the cage, the bird stretched it's wings as far as they would go and gave a happy shriek. The Postman stared dumbly as Sakon gave a light kick to the bird's sides and it began immediately flapping, disturbing all the dust in the room into a thick grey cloud. Just as Ganondorf reached them, the Loftwing took off into the air and Sakon reached down and grabbed The Postman by the back of the shirt.

The Loftwing shot into the air like a cannonball, The Postman held in Sakon's grasp, dangling precariously as they got higher and higher. As they approached the skylight, the bird didn't slow down in the least and they burst through it in a shower of glass and feathers. Sakon ducked low on the Loftwing's back and was completely unharmed but The Postman didn't have such good luck, bits of glass cutting painfully into his back and arms. Sakon let out a whoop of victory as they shot up into the sky, the Loftwing screaming in pure joy, this being the first time it had flown.

Sakon pulled The Postman up onto the Loftwing's back then crinkled his nose at him. "What happened to you?" he demanded, seeing the blood and cuts.

The Postman gave him a glare.

"What did Ganondorf do to you?" Sakon asked, puffing out his chest indignantly. "I saved you just in time by the looks of it! It looks like you're bleeding to death!"

"No, it was you tha-"

"Wow! I actually saved you for once!" Sakon exclaimed giving him a wide grin. "Now I only owe you three!"

Sakon seemed so very proud of himself, The Postman simply let out a sigh and began picking glass out of himself.

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**Reviews make the author happy**


	4. Skyloft

**Authornote:**

**I was kinda lazy the last few days and didn't do too much writing. I should have had this up last night, but oh well. This is a fairly long chapter so strap in! Oh and thank you to all my reviewers, you guys never cease to put a smile on my face! If anyone has any ideas, i'm always up for suggestions! Thanks a bunch guys and happy reading!  
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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Skyloft

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The Postman winced as Sakon pulled another piece of glass out of his back. The thief had been working at getting the shards out over the past hour and whistled tunelessly to himself as he worked. They'd passed the cloud barrier some time ago but the only thing they'd seen thus far were a few floating rocks and the odd bird or two.

"Why is it so cold?" Sakon asked, giving an obvious shiver. "I think my hands are getting numb."

"The higher up you go, the colder it gets." The Postman replied, thinking of all the times he'd had to climb mountains for deliveries.

Sakon gave another shiver and pulled open his backpack. Wrapping a cloak around himself, he took out a rag and wiped a bit of the blood off The Postman's back. As he worked on another shard, he asked.

"How do you suppose these rocks float? Why don't they fall?"

"I don't know." The Postman replied with a grimace.

"Do you suppose it's magic?" Sakon asked. "Stay still, this one's in deep."

"Gah!" The Postman gasped as Sakon ripped the piece of glass free. "Perhaps it's best if we don't think about it."

Sakon wrapped the cloak a bit more tightly around himself. "Why?" he asked with a hint of humour. "You think if we talk about it, they'll all suddenly fall down?"

"When it comes to magic, I prefer to mind my own business."

"Okay, good point, but I still think this whole world is weird. Like if they're above the clouds, how do the plants get watered?"

The Postman stared down at the thick, grey clouds as they flew along, unable to see how far up they were. "Sakon? Why did you want to come with me for my deliveries?" he asked. "Didn't you have anything better to do?"

Sakon stared at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? Do you have any idea of all the cool things I can probably stea- trade for up here? Other thieves would kill for this opportunity!"

"By the goddesses..." The Postman moaned as a particularly large chunk of glass was yanked out of his shoulder. "I think you should stop for a bit..."

"Don't be such a wimp, I only have like five more pieces to go."

The Postman took a deep breath and steeled himself as Sakon continued.

"This bird is really, really slow." Sakon observed. "It doesn't even seem like it's moving. I think we got a defective one."

The Loftwing turned its head and gave a loud screech directly in Sakons face and sped up a bit. Sakon stared at it with wide eyes.

"Hey! It understands me!" he cried, grinning wide.

The Postman gritted his teeth and let out a low hiss as another piece of glass was removed. "Then please don't insult it." he requested.

Sakon seemed completely thrilled and reached forward to pet the Loftwing on the neck. "I change my mind, he's amazing!" he exclaimed. "This Loftwing is going to be so useful later on!"

"It doesn't belong to you." The Postman pointed out. "It's Ganondorf's."

Sakon gave a shrug. "Yeah, but it's not like Ganondorf can use it anyway; he's way too heavy to ride it, he'd squash it flat. What kind of a life is it for a bird to be caged all its life? I'm sure the Loftwing would be much happier with me where it can actually fly! ...even if it is pink and fuzzy."

The Loftwing let out a loud call, seemingly agreeing and gave a graceful swoop in the air. Both men had to grasp at its feathers to avoid falling off and Sakon grinned further. The Postman however, frowned, not agreeing with Sakon but didn't voice his opinion.

They were silent a few minutes as Sakon worked on the last couple pieces of glass and The Postman stared ahead into the sky. It was just endless blue and grey all around them and The Postman allowed himself to smile slightly, enjoying the feeling of the cold wind that ripped over them. He always enjoyed exploring new areas and although he wouldn't admit it, he was rather excited at the prospect of this whole new world. The moment was quickly interrupted however, when a there was an agonizing stab in his back.

"Ack! What are you doing?" The Postman demanded. "Did you just push that one in even deeper?"

"Sorry, this last one is really stuck in there." Sakon replied, wiping some blood off on the rag. "I'm going to have to pry it out."

The Postman glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Sakon draw his dagger. Quickly looking away, The Postman closed his eyes and braced himself. Sakon whistled a happy tune as he worked, trying his best to get the glass out as quickly as possible. When he finally managed to pry it out, The Postman let out a breath of relief.

"There!" Sakon announced. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

The Postman turned his gaze back to the sky, hoping they were getting closer to Skyloft. It was getting to be late afternoon and still there was no sign of an island yet. Sakon was obviously getting bored as he kept sighing and gazing out at the endless sky. The Postman felt rather disconcerted and had no idea where they were. He was unused to this and couldn't tell one direction from another. Now and then he got the feeling they were headed in the right direction but it only lasted a few seconds before he felt lost again. He felt like a compass which had a magnet too near it; his sense of direction spinning. He wondered briefly if it was some sort of magic that caused this and whether it was from Ghirahim. If it was Ghirahim, then that would explain why his sense of direction was so screwy and why he couldn't sense the Kokiri. The villain was obviously hiding them.

"Hey!" Sakon called suddenly. "What's that?"

Far ahead, several creatures could be seen flying about in frantic circles and both men exchanged a look.

"Loftwings?" Sakon questioned.

"I don't think so..." The Postman replied. "But I don't think we should go near them."

Sakon let out a snort. "I'm not stupid.." he said, pulling at the Loftwing's reins to change direction.

The Loftwing veered widely around and they got a good look at the strange dragon-like monsters as they passed. One of the monsters stared directly at them and narrowed its eyes. Then, without warning, it let out a piercing cry and spread its wings as far as they could go. It flew at them full speed, claws extended and teeth bared in malice. Sakon ripped back the reins, causing the Loftwing to stop midair and the monster zipped by just where its head had just been. The Loftwing let out a startled cry and flapped as hard as it could in attempt to get away but the monster was much faster. It came back at them and grabbed a hold of the Loftwing by the neck, pulling at feathers and the terrified bird let out a shrill scream. Sakon quickly grabbed his backpack and swung it directly at the monster's head and knocked it away from the Loftwing.

The monster fell down about ten feet before recovering and seemed even angrier. It gave a furious snarl and flew back up, its intent to kill clear. The Loftwing flew as fast as it could to get away but the monster was just too fast and kept swooping for the bird's throat. The Loftwing had learned from last time and swooped and dropped away just in time. Sakon had drawn his dagger and was stabbing at the monster every time it came a bit too near but the monster was determined and kept coming time and time again. The Postman was holding onto Sakon's legs to make sure the thief didn't fall off and the Loftwing was getting more and more frantic. It's eyes were wild with fear and it began flying sporadically, trying everything and anything to lose the monster.

Just then a streak of yellow appeared in front of them and the monster fell back with a loud cry. A large yellow Loftwing, paused for a moment in front of them as the monster recovered then it darted forward, wings to its sides as it attacked. At the last moment, the Loftwing spun in a powerful attack and the monster let out a howl of pain as it disintegrated in a cloud of black dust.

Sakon and The Postman stared in surprise at the sudden, unexpected rescue and the yellow Loftwing swooped back around until it was in front of them. It was then that they noticed a young man was on its back dressed all in yellow, the clothing very similar to the Hero of Time's.

"Hey!" the man called over. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so..." Sakon answered, trying his best to look his Loftwing over for any damage. "Who're you?"

"My name's Pipit, I'm a knight from the academy. You're lucky I was passing by." the man continued. "The monsters around here can be pretty nasty."

"Thank you for your help, sir." The Postman said, giving the young man a nod. "We're not really from around here..."

The man gave them a toothy grin. "So I noticed."

"Do you know how to get to Skyloft island?" The Postman asked. "We've been looking for it."

The man seemed both surprised and amused and proceeded to point directly down. The Postman and Sakon looked down and saw they were in fact flying above a large island neither had noticed before. They'd been so busy dealing with the monster, they hadn't even seen the island and now it was glaringly obvious.

"Oh..." The Postman said as the man gave them another amused look.

"You should come down," the man suggested. "It will be night soon and your Loftwing needs rest."

The Postman glanced at the Loftwing and sure enough it was breathing quite heavily and struggling to stay up so he nodded. "I think that would be best..." The Postman said, not really wanting to fall out of the sky.

"I don't trust him!" Sakon hissed a bit too loudly. "Something's fishy about him!"

"I need to go to Skyloft." The Postman reminded him. "I have a delivery to make."

Sakon frowned. His villain instincts were much too strong to trust anyone dressed like a hero but he did grudgingly nod. "Fine."

If Pipit heard this exchange, he didn't show it and simply motioned for them to follow him. As they flew down after the knight, they saw the island had many houses and actually looked like a pleasant place to live. There was some sort of celebration taking place, paper lanterns strung about, large tables laden with food and loud music in the air. The moment their Loftwings touched down, they immediately drew attention and the music came to a abrupt halt. Villagers began approaching them curiously, whispering amongst themselves and Pipit hopped down off his Loftwing to greet them.

The villagers were openly gawking at them and The Postman began feeling a bit self-conscious, especially since he hadn't yet put his shirt back on. Sakon was always one to enjoy attention and grinned down at the people as The Postman pulled his shirt back over his head.

Pipit spoke with a middle-aged women for a moment and she quickly pushed her way through the crowd towards him.

"Why hello there!" she greeted giving them both a wink.

The woman's make-up and clothes were meant for someone half her age and she gave them a sly sort of grin which left both uncomfortable.

"Um, hello?" Sakon said hesitantly.

"You're strangers." she stated, twirling a lock of her hair around a finger.

"Yeah? So?" Sakon replied.

"We've never had strangers before!" she exclaimed, giving another wink.

Pipit pushed his way back through the crowd. "Ma, stop it!" he ordered. "Leave them alone; they just got here!"

The woman gave them another look over then turned to her son. "There's nothing wrong with me being friendly." she stated.

Pipit was obviously embarrassed and gave her arm a tug, trying to pull her away. "There's such as thing as being too friendly."

The woman looked as if she were about to protest but a large, white-haired man approached, the crowd parting for him and she fell silent. He held his hands behind his back casually and wore robes of orange and red, obviously someone of importance. He studied them with intelligent grey eyes for a moment then gave a nod.

"Welcome." he greeted. "From which island do you hail?"

Sakon hesitated. "Uh..."

The man studied the Loftwing for a moment with calculating eyes then said. "I've never seen a pink Loftwing before, very rare indeed. You're very lucky, it's a fine animal."

"Thanks?" Sakon replied, wondering whether he had to be afraid of the man stealing the Loftwing.

The Postman stared intently at the man as if trying to come to a conclusion. "You are Gaepora, sir? Headmaster of Skyloft?"

"I am."

"I am a postman from Hyrule, sir, and I have a delivery for you."

Gaepora's eyes widened. "Hyrule? You've come from beneath the clouds?"

The Postman slid down off of the Loftwing. "Yes, sir."

The crowd gasped at his bloody appearance as he approached, the cuts from earlier still bleeding and making him look like a war victim. He held out the mask to Gaepora who accepted it purely by reflex, the man's eyes still studying him. Gaepora glanced down at the mask he held and turned it over with a bit of a frown.

"An unusual mask." he observed. "Who is it from?"

"It's a gift from the Happy Mask Salesman in Hyrule Town." The Postman replied. "I was asked to bring it to you."

"Hmm." Gaepora said, turning the mask over again. "It's made very well but what a strange design! What is it of, a Loftwing?"

"I'm not sure, sir, it looks like an owl to me."

"Very unusual but the gift is just in time for the festival." Gaepora stated. "I'll wear it tonight!"

Sakon slid down off of the Loftwing, keeping a firm grip on the reins. "Festival?" he questioned. "What kind of festival?"

"This is our annual festival of the sky." Gaepora replied. "It's the largest festival we hold all year."

"Sky-world, sky-island. Sky-birds, sky-monsters, Skyloft; of course it's a festival of the sky..." Sakon muttered. "No points for originality, that's for sure."

"What was that?" Gaepora demanded.

"Er...nothing."

Gaepora eyed him a moment then asked. "Tell me, travellers, what are your names?"

Sakon stepped forward, chest puffed out and his cloak billowed out dramatically behind him. "I am Sakon, a mighty king from below the clouds!" he announced. "I have travelled far and fought many battles to find my way here! I have come on a quest from the Goddesses to free the world from evil, so please show me the proper respect!"

He placed his hands on his hips as The Postman gaped at him and whispers immediately erupted throughout the crowd. Sakon gave a large grin at the attention and shot The Postman a wink.

Gaepora paused a second as he gave Sakon a scrutinizing look. "We're honoured." he finally replied, not really looking convinced. "And who is your companion, your majesty?"

Sakon waved a hand at The Postman dismissively. "Oh, he's no one important; he's just my personal herald."

The Postman let out a heavy sigh, sure this was going to turn out very badly.

"Your herald seems to be injured." Gaepora pointed out. "He should be seen to."

"Naw, he's good, he's sturdier than he looks." Sakon replied, earning him a glare.

The woman from before pushed her way through the crowd. "Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "Come home with me, I'll see to it you're both taken care of. Your clothes are much too thin for this time of year! You both must be frozen!"

Sakon nodded as he wasn't used to colder temperatures but The Postman wasn't bothered. He'd been in much colder weather than this before and wasn't even chilled yet.

"I think since we've travelled so far, you should treat us to supper." Sakon casually informed the lady.

"Sakon!" The Postman scolded.

"Hush, little worker bee, the king is speaking." Sakon answered, giving the woman an encouraging smile. "So, how about it?"

"That's no trouble at all! They'll join us for the festival, isn't that right, Gaepora?" the woman said, turning her eyes to the headmaster.

Gaepora gave a slow, careful nod of the head. "Yes, of course you're welcome to celebrate with us." he replied. "Everyone is welcome."

"And you'll have to spend the night!" the woman said, with a wink. "Loftwings don't fly at night!"

The Postman really didn't like the idea of postponing his other deliveries and frowned. "They won't fly at night, ma'am? Why not?"

For this, Pipit stepped forward. "Loftwings have excellent vision at day but their night-vision is terrible. When they can't see, they get extremely nervous and are hard to control. Only specially trained Loftwings can fly at night."

"I see." The Postman said, still frowning.

Sakon gave him a hard nudge. "It's a party; perfect excuse to get drunk and have some fun. Relax a little, will you?"

"I don't drink."

Sakon rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't."

"Come, follow me," the woman said with a friendly smile. "You can borrow some of my son's old clothes."

Sakon nodded and began tying his Loftwing to the nearby guard-rail.

"That's not needed." Pipit informed him. "Loftwings never go far and he'll come when you call him."

Sakon gave Pipit a distrustful look and tied the Loftwing anyway. He wasn't taking the chance, not when it was his only way away from Skyloft. "One can never be too careful." he stated, turning to follow after the woman.

The Postman and Sakon followed the woman through the crowd, all of whom were still whispering and pointing. She led them to a small house built in the side of the rocks and pushed open the door. As they entered she gave them another smile.

"Welcome to my home; sorry about all the dust."

"Wow." Sakon said, looking at the completely grey room. "...that's a lot of dust."

The dust was so thick, they left footprints as they crossed the room and The Postman was sure his white clothes were getting covered in the dust.

"Someone comes by every few days to help with the dusting but it always comes back again." the woman said with a sigh.

"All this dust is just from a couple days?" Sakon asked in disgust. "You must shed skin like a snake!"

The woman let out another sigh. "People come and blow the dust away for me but it just settles right back where it was..."

"Blows the dust? So it never actually gets wiped up?"

"Well, no. If it's blown away, it doesn't need to be actually cleaned!"

"Uh, I don't think that's how it works..." Sakon said.

"No matter, dears, you can stay in our spare room. I keep the window open in there so there's very little dust."

The woman led them to a room off the main hall and opened the door to reveal a simple room with just a large bed and few other pieces of furniture.

"You two stay here, I'll go get some bandages and clean clothes."

"Thank you, ma'am." The Postman said politely.

"No problem at all!" the woman said, shutting the door after her as she left.

Sakon immediately let out a mischievous giggle and threw himself down on the bed. "I can't believe they actually fell for that!" he exclaimed. "These people are really dumb!"

"Mr. Gaepora is already suspicious of you." The Postman pointed out. "Don't cause problems."

Sakon didn't seem bothered by this and gave another laugh. "What do I care? I'm only having a little fun, something you obviously don't know about!"

"Please, don't cause problems."

"We're leaving tomorrow anyway." Sakon pointed out. "Relax."

The Postman had nothing to say to this and took a seat on the end of the bed.

"Oh and you'll want to soak your clothes." Sakon informed him. "Some blood dripped on your shorts and it kinda looks like you're on your period."

The Postman immediately glanced down then let out a groan. "How unprofessional to make a delivery in dirty clothes!" he cried.

"I'm pretty sure no one cares except for you."

The Postman let out a resigned sigh and a couple minutes later the woman returned. She gave The Postman an almost hungry expression and set a medical kit on the bed beside him.

"Ok, off with the clothes!" she ordered. "Let's get you bandaged up!"

The Postman quickly took the medical kit. "Er, I can do it myself, ma'am, but thank you for the offer..."

The woman seemed a bit disappointed and handed some clothes over. "Very well, but if you get infected in an unmentionable area because you didn't disinfect well enough then it's your own fault!"

"...I'll keep that in mind."

"Once you've changed, I'll wash your clothes for you. Bloodstains are nothing, I can get any stain out of clothes!"

Sakon raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you can."

"I'll be right outside the door if you need me!"

As The Postman removed his now bloodstained shirt, the woman grudgingly left the room and Sakon sat up, flashing him a cocky look. "I think she likes you!"

The Postman said nothing as he began unravelling bandages and Sakon moved over beside him.

"I think we should maybe cover the keyhole.." he suggested.

"Just help me, please?" The Postman asked, shoving the bandages into the thief's hands.

"I thought you said you could do it yourself?" Sakon teased.

"I lied."

Sakon seemed pleased at this. "Maybe you can be corrupted!" he exclaimed. "All hope isn't lost for you yet!"

Sakon seemed overly smug as he wrapped the bandages around the worst of the cuts and The Postman simply said nothing, having no real justification for the lie. Once Sakon was finished, the thief grabbed his new set of clothes and slipped them on.

"Hey, these are actually pretty nice!" he commented. "Nice and thick! I was expecting her to bring hero clothes or something!"

The Postman took his own set of clothes, not really wanting to change out of uniform but knowing he had no other choice at the moment. Once they were both dressed, they opened the door to leave and the woman jumped back, her face reddening slightly.

"Er, I was just about to check on you." she said. "Everything go okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." The Postman responded politely as Sakon simply looked affronted.

"Oh, here, I'll take those!" the woman said, taking The Postman's bloody uniform from him. "I'll get this cleaned in no time. Why don't you two go join the celebrations?"

Skon didn't say a word to her, simply sticking his nose in the air and leaving. The Postman gave the woman a polite nod then hurried to catch up with Sakon. Once they were outside of the house, Sakon turned to The Postman.

"Imagine the nerve of her spying on us! I didn't think she'd actually do it! That's creepy!"

"You probably spy on girls all the time." The Postman stated.

"SO?" Sakon shot back. "It's different when I do it! It's expected!"

"Uh huh." The Postman replied, losing interest.

When they reached the celebrations, Sakon instantly went into flirt mode when he saw all of the pretty girls and left The Postman without a second thought. The thief ran over to a group of the girls and flashed them his most charming smile as The Postman took a seat at one of the tables. Ignoring Sakon, he poured himself a glass of water and sipped at it as he watched the dancing and activities around himself.

The Postman was silent as he stared at the thousands of lights sparkling overhead. The lanterns were a rainbow of colours that lit up the entire festival. His brown eyes widened in slight amazement as the colours seemed to blur against the dancers making them seem like a smeared painting and he went very, very still. Many of the people were wearing costumes or masks as they danced, laughing and looking like they were born to do the graceful flips and spins. No one seemed to misstep and their make-up smeared skin seemed to glow in the light, both beautiful and mysterious.

The Postman had never seen anything like it and watched transfixed, content with sitting to the side, simply watching. After a while he looked up to see Gaepora standing in front of him, now in costume, complete with mask. Gaepora pushed up his mask so The Postman could see his face and gave him a smile.

"Why are you all by yourself, herald?" he asked. "Come join the festivities!"

"I'm not really much of a dancer, sir."

"Have some wine, wine makes everyone a dancer." Gaepora suggested. "You look lonely over here."

"I'm fine, sir." The Postman assured him. "I prefer to watch."

"As you wish, young herald, but I think you'd have more fun if you joined in."

"Thank you, sir, but I think I'll stay here for now."

Gaepora lowered his mask and then disappeared back into the crowd as The Postman turned his attention over to Sakon. Sakon was still with the girls and by the way they kept giggling and giving the thief shy smiles, it looked like Sakon was luring them in with some lie or another. Sakon looked over at him for a moment and their eyes met. Sakon gave him a 'look what I have' type of grin and pulled the prettiest girl of the group onto his lap. The girl seemed to think this was hilarious and laughed hard, the others joining in. The Postman rolled his eyes. The girls were drunk and by the way Sakon was staggering, he was too.

Sakon saw the look The Postman gave him and whispered something in the girl's ear and pointed over at The Postman. The girl gave a giggle and then slid off his lap. She approached the oblivious postman, who had gone back to staring at the dancers, and took a seat beside him. Feeling the bench shift, The Postman glanced up just as the girl wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hi." she greeted, staring up at him through thick black lashes. "You're kinda cute..."

The Postman wasn't sure how to react and simply stared at her. She gave him a look which could only be described as sultry then pulled him even closer, her breath hot against his face. Without warning, the girl kissed him full on the mouth and he froze in complete shock. His mouth filled with the taste of rum and the girl tried to draw him even closer. Panicking, he pulled away fast, flailed a second then ended up falling off the bench into a very undignified position.

Sakon, who had been watching, laughed hysterically and pointed as the girls around him joined in. The Postman looked up at Sakon from his position on the ground and saw the girl seated above him laughing as well.

"I told you you were gay!" Sakon said triumphantly. "I knew it! I totally knew it!"

The Postman simply stared at him, mouth slightly agape at what had just happened.

"No man would ever be able to resist her! I mean look at her!" Sakon called, looking the girl up and down with appreciation. "You're totally, undeniably GAY!"

The Postman looked back up at the girl who had one of her hands covering her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks, laughing hard. The Postman slowly and carefully disentangled his limbs from the bench and got to his feet, very aware everyone was staring at him. Without a word, he turned and headed away from the party.

"Oh, come on!" Sakon called after him. "It was just a joke!"

The Postman didn't answer and headed for the house, pushing through the crowd as Sakon continued calling after him. Once The Postman was in the guest room, he kicked off his sandals and flopped down on the bed, deciding it best if he avoided the rest of the festival.

He laid on his side facing the window, listening to the music for a long time and eventually his eyes began to droop. He was instantly awake, however, when he heard a loud crash from the hallway and then Sakon's unmistakable giggle. A girl giggled along with him and The Postman instantly realized Sakon wasn't alone.

The bedroom door opened and he heard them both stagger in, still giggling and he stiffened in apprehension. He heard the rustle of clothing and the girl gave another laugh.

"Here, let me help you with that." she said. "Your hands are clumsy."

There was some more rustling and then a weight settled on the other side of the bed.

"Come on," Sakon urged. "It's chilly."

The Postman squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to disappear, wanting to die a horrible death, anything not to be there right then.

"What about him?" the girl asked uncertainly.

"Don't worry about him," Sakon replied, giving The Postman a hard poke in the side. "He's a really sound sleeper."

"Well...okay." the girl said, still sounding a bit uncertain.

Another weight settled on the bed and The Postman tried to think of anything at all except for what was happening beside him. He was pretty sure this was the worst moment of his life, counting all the times he'd almost died.

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever met." Sakon crooned lowly, kissing her loudly.

"Mmm," was the girl's only response.

A couple minutes later, The Postman couldn't handle the noises anymore and he fled the bedroom, Sakon and the girl not even noticing. He ran as fast as he could out of the house and continued to run as far as he could, until he was on the other side of the island, sitting on the edge. He gave an obvious shudder and drew his knees up under his chin, simply staring off into the darkness. He sat there a long time until the sounds of the music began to die down and he was left in silence.

A soft sound from behind him caused him to turn and he saw Gaepora walking past, mask still on and eyes focussed straight ahead. The man didn't notice The Postman and stopped on the very edge of the island, his feet tipping precariously. He stared downwards as if in a trance and then spread his arms. The Postman's eyes widened and he quickly got to his feet.

"Sir!" he called. "What are you doing? Don't jump!"

Gaepora slowly looked over at him but didn't seem to really see him. As The Postman took a few steps closer, he noticed there was something different about the man. He now seemed to be wearing a strange sort of costume, brown feathers sticking out in every direction like an odd, mutilated bird.

"Sir?" The Postman questioned.

"Hoot, hoooot!" Gaepora responded, cocking his head at an unnatural angle.

The Postman took another step closer. "Um, I think you've had too much to drink, sir. Please come away from the edge."

Gaepora spread his arms again and this time The Postman could clearly see feathers coming directly out of the skin. "It's not a costume..."

The Postman's eyes fell on the mask and realization hit him. "Sir! Take off the mask! It's the mask! Take it off, sir!"

"Hooot!" Gaepora replied, eyes going back to the sky.

With one final hoot, Gaepora jumped off the side and disappeared into the darkness. The Postman stared downwards with wide eyes, a single floating feather all that remained of the headmaster.

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**Reviews make the author happy!  
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	5. The Murder of Gaepora

**Authornote:  
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**Hello everyone! I actaully got this chapter up when i wanted to. This is the darkest chapter yet so I hope i don't lose some of you during it lol. Everyone left such awesome reviews last chapter, thank you so much! Never be afraid to tell me your thoughts or opinions on the story, I do take advice and won't be offended! Even if it's just to say "Hey, this story sucks! Go write the adventures of Peahat Pete." I'd still like to hear it! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by the weekend.  
**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

The Murder of Gaepora

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It took a moment for The Postman to process what he'd just seen. He watched as the feather floated down out of view then slowly backed away from the edge. He took a deep breath then glanced behind him. There was no one in sight; the entire island seemingly asleep, he being the only one to witness Gaepora's strange transformation. The Postman backed even further away from the edge. Was Gaepora dead? Did the headmaster just jump to his death or did he fully transform before he hit the ground? Sincerely hoping it was the latter, The Postman turned away and stared at the dark village, uncertain of what he should do.

He had been the one to bring Gaepora the mask knowing full well it wasn't on the up and up and now the man was gone, possibly dead. Taking another deep breath, The Postman began heading back to the cottage, not sure what to do. Sakon had more experience in this field than him and seeing as The Happy Mask Salesman was his uncle he might know what to do.

When he entered the cottage, he paused, staring at the bedroom door, just remembering that the girl was probably still in there. Grimacing, he pushed open the door and was met with the sight of both Sakon and the girl passed out drunk on the bed.

Sighing, The Postman approached the bed and shook Sakon's shoulder. The thief lobbed a bit but otherwise didn't move. The girl, whom was draped across Sakon, gave a groan then looked up at him blearily.

"Hey, gay guy." she said, once her eyes focussed.

The Postman frowned at her. It was the same pretty girl who'd kissed him earlier.

"You. Out." he ordered, pointing to the door.

The girl blinked, not comprehending.

"OUT." The Postman repeated.

The girl slowly sat up, still extremely drunk and not quite grasping what he wanted. The Postman averted his eyes away from her and again pointed to the door.

"Leave."

"W-what?" she questioned, rubbing at her eyes.

"LEAVE."

"Why?"

The Postman didn't have the time nor the patience for her at the moment so he reached out, took her by the arm and gently pulled her to her feet. He led the confused girl across the room, then promptly shoved her out the door without another word. Once the door was slammed in her face, the girl seemed to put two and two together then banged on the door.,

"Hey!" she protested. "What about my clothes?"

The Postman grabbed the crumpled pile of clothes off the floor, then opened the door and tossed them out.

Once he'd slammed the door shut once more, he turned back to Sakon. He shook him a few times but Sakon didn't even budge. Deciding to try the direct approach, he yanked Sakon off the bed and the thief crashed hard to the floor. Finally there was a reaction and Sakon groaned, moving a hand to his injured head. He still wasn't completely awake however and felt around the floor, looking for the blankets.

The Postman gave him a nudge with his foot. Sakon twitched in response.

"Sakon." The Postman said loudly, kneeling down next to him. "I need to talk to you."

"G'way."

The Postman simply gave him a hard shake. "Sakon! You have to wake up! This is important! Sakon!"

Sakon batted him away irritably. "Lemelone." he complained. "M'still drunk."

The Postman shook him even harder. "SAKON!"

"G'way!" Sakon growled, booting at him.

Winded from the kick to his stomach, The Postman paused a moment then booted Sakon back. The thief let out a whine of protest and simply rolled away from him, content to sleep on the floor.

The Postman let out a frustrated huff, and shook him again. Sakon only gave a loud snore in response. Knowing Sakon wasn't in any condition to talk, The Postman stood and turned to the bed. He dropped a quilt down on top of Sakon then headed for the door, uncertain of what to do. As he left the room, he saw the girl had passed out in the hallway only half dressed, and The Postman stepped over her with a sigh. It was just before dawn and he knew it wouldn't take the villagers long to discover Gaepora's disappearance. What would they do when he explained what he'd seen happen?

The Postman walked throughout the island not really having a destination in mind, just wanting to find an isolated spot away from the villagers. He found a flight of stairs and began climbing them without thought, his gaze on the strange temple far above. He climbed until he was at the very top, the highest point on the island. The temple was made of grey stone, so completely different than any other structure on the island, he was drawn to it.

He reached the doors and pushed against them, surprised to find the temple unlocked. The temple was dark and cold, his footsteps echoing loudly as he cautiously made his way through the hall. This was exactly the type of place he needed at the moment, somewhere cold and unjudging where he could think. Crossing the temple, he saw something unexpected; a strange sword was held in a stone pedestal, light from above making it glint in the darkness.

Curious, he approached and quickly saw it looked very similar to the Hero of Time's master sword. Taking a seat next to the sword, he sighed heavily and stared upwards towards the skylight. He was only there a moment before a voice cut directly into his thoughts.

"Who are you?" the strange voice demanded. "I do not recognize you. You are not a skychild."

The Postman glanced one way then the other but the temple was completely empty. Confused, he frowned and didn't answer, deciding it best to ignore strange voices in his head. There was a moments silence then the voice rang into his mind again, this time a bit more loudly.

"There is a 99% chance that you are a stranger from below the clouds and 53% chance that's you're here to steal me."

Again, The Postman glanced all around but the temple was still as empty as before. Shaking his head, he wondered if he was overtired and beginning to hear things.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" the voice demanded. "I do not approve of thieves."

The Postman looked all around himself for a third time, the voice sounding too real to be his imagination. "Who are you?" he asked a bit hesitantly. "And where are you?"

"I asked you for your name and business first." the voice pointed out to him.

The voice sounded feminine but unlike a mortal voice; it sounded strange and otherworldly. The Postman leaned back on his elbows.

"I am no one." The Postman answered. "Just a postman."

There was a second as the voice seemed to consider this then she replied. "Everyone is someone, postman. I, myself, am considered someone, even though I can no longer move or speak freely unless touched."

"Touched?" The Postman questioned.

"The moment you move your leg, we'll no longer be able to speak." the voice explained.

The Postman glanced down at his leg. It was leaning against the pedestal and he gave the shining sword a curious look. For the first time, he noticed it was glowing a pale, unnatural blue.

"You're the sword?"

"I am." the voice confirmed. "To be more accurate, I'm the spirit within the sword."

The Postman found this very strange but thought it would be rude to say so. Instead he asked. "What is your name, miss? Do you have one?"

"I do. My name is Fi."

This was the first time he'd spoken to a magical sword and he still half-wondered whether he'd gone crazy. "If you're a magical sword, why are you in here? Why aren't you with some hero, trying to save the world?"

"I was once used by my master to save the world but that was a very, very long time ago." the sword explained. "My master went back to his own time so I imagine he's still around. My job now, is to seal away the evil within my blade. I was moved back to Skyloft once my previous guardian died."

The Postman had an inkling as to who the hero had been. "I see..." he replied.

"Why are you here, postman? Have you come to steal me? I will not allow you to."

The Postman shook his head. "No, miss, I'm not here to steal you."

"Then what is your purpose here?"

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed you." The Postman apologized. "I just wanted somewhere quiet to think."

Again, Fi paused as if considering his words. "Think about what, postman?"

The Postman sighed heavily. "About what I should do." he replied.

"More clarity required."

The Postman wasn't sure if he should discuss this with the strange sword-spirit but he answered all the same. "Well, miss, I've made a mistake and I'm trying to figure out what I should do."

"I was created to analyse and then provide my suggestions." Fi informed him. "There is a 95% chance that I'll be able to give you advice and help you come to a decision."

The Postman wasn't sure how he felt about a sword giving him advice but thought he might offend her if he refused.

"I accidentally caused the headmaster, Gaepora to start transforming into a bird." The Postman explained. "Then he jumped off the side of the island..."

"I see." Fi stated thoughtfully. "I believe there's a 87% chance that you're lying."

The Postman simply sighed. He supposed when put that way, it did sound rather unbelievable.

"To increase the believability of your story, please expand and include as many details as you can."

The Postman slumped against the pedestal, and stared up at the sword thoughtfully. "It's quite a complicated story..."

"Then explain from the beginning." Fi suggested.

The Postman nodded and began his story. "Well, miss, as I've told you, I'm a postman and yesterday I was making my usual deliveries around Hyrule. I had a letter to go to a Kokiri who lived in the forest. I found the girl easily but when I attempted delivery, she was kidnapped by a man named Ghirahim. I've never failed in a delivery before but I didn't know where to find her so I attempted to return the letter to the sender.

The sender still wanted the letter delivered as he was sure Ghirahim was somewhere up here in the sky-islands but I had no way to get here. My friend who came with me, took us to see his uncle The Happy Mask Salesman who gave me a strange mask to deliver to Gaepora in exchange for information about how to get to the sky.

He told me to go see Ganondorf who sort of agreed to lend me his Loftwing in exchange for me delivering a letter to Ghirahim. I eventually found my way to Skyloft and delivered the mask to Gaepora which he wore during last nights sky festival. After the festival was over, I was near the edge of the island when Gaepora approached me, acting strangely. He seemed confused and when I approached, I saw feathers had begun to sprout all over his body. He didn't seem to understand me as I tried to help him and he jumped off the side before I could stop him."

The Postman couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken so much all at once and fell silent as Fi processed the information. The sword pulsed as she thought and a couple minutes passed before she spoke.

"Did you know the mask had magical properties?" she asked.

"I suspected it." The Postman admitted.

"And now you're trying to figure out whether or not to admit your part in what happened to the villagers." Fi stated. "And whether it is your fault."

"Yes."

"It is." Fi replied. "If you had not brought the mask to Gaepora, he would not have been transformed. There is a 75% probability that he is dead and a 89% probability that the villagers will blame you for it whether you confess or not."

The Postman slumped even further against the pedestal. "That's what I thought."

There was silence for a few minutes before the sword-spirit spoke up again. "You did not anticipate this happening." Fi said, almost in consolidation. "They may realize it was an accident and be lenient despite the odds against it."

The Postman didn't find that reassuring. What was the penalty for murder on Skyloft?

"Do you regret your actions, postman?" Fi asked.

The Postman furrowed his brow. "I don't know." he answered honestly. "I had no other way to get here than to make the deals I did, but I certainly didn't want anyone to die because of me..."

"Would you save him if you could?"

"It's my fault he was cursed in the first place, so I would help him if I knew how." The Postman replied decisively.

The sword hummed slightly as Fi thought this through. "The outcome of your fate depends on your actions." she said. "If you run, you have a 61% chance of getting away but if you stay and confess then there's a 74% chance you will be executed."

"Those aren't very good odds." The Postman observed.

"No." Fi agreed.

"How would they execute me?"

"That I don't know." Fi admitted. "I could run all the numbers for every form of execution if you like."

"No, thank you." The Postman said. "There's no point in speculating."

"Speculating is what I do."

The Postman pondered for a moment. "If I'm executed then my other two deliveries will never reach their recipients... That would be very disappointing for them."

"Then run." Fi suggested.

The sword spirit didn't sound like she cared one way or another and The Postman considered the odds thoughtfully. Running seemed like an incredibly dishonest thing to do but he also didn't relish the idea of dying.

"I suppose I'll run." The Postman said slowly. "I don't seem to have much of a choice."

"It is your decision, postman."

"You're sure they'll execute me over this?" The Postman asked. "Even if I explain everything?"

"I'm 74% sure." Fi replied. "And that is with me rounding down."

The Postman sighed and stared up towards the sky-light. "Do you mind if I stay here for a while?" The Postman asked, eyes never leaving the sky. "I have to wait for my friend to wake before we can leave."

"I do not mind." Fi replied. "But I must warn you, if you attempt to steal me, there's a 100% probability that you'll catch on fire."

"Understood." The Postman replied, falling into silence.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Link frowned. He'd gone back to Kokiri Forest and everything was just as The Postman had said. The Kokiri's houses were empty and they seemed to have had no warning of the attack. Meals were left untouched on tables, gardens half-weeded, it was as if they were just plucked from whatever they'd been doing at the time.

Link took his time exploring every bit of the village, looking for some sort of clue as to where the Kokiri had been taken. He found nothing so he turned his attention to the Lost Woods.

Everything around him was dead and rotted, the once green forest withered and brown. Link had never seen it like this before and found himself quietly mourning the forest. He had lived as a Kokiri the first ten years of his life and he still held the appreciation of nature all Kokiri possessed.

When he approached the sacred grove, the giant Moblin who normally guarded it was seated on the stairs looking depressed. It gave a heavy sigh as Link passed it but otherwise didn't move. As dumb as the Moblin was, he too knew something was very, very wrong and didn't like it.

The sacred grove was completely empty and just as dead as the rest of the forest. Link found himself staring at Saria's usual sitting place on the stump sadly. The forest seemed even more empty without the small green-haired girl's presence. Link had been hoping that The Postman was mistaken in some way but now it was clear the Kokiri truly were kidnapped.

Link had thought Ghirahim to be dead but luck never seemed to be on his side. The villain could be planning any number of insidious schemes and Link knew he would have to stop him before it was too late. With a heavy heart, he headed back out of the Lost Woods to start on his mission.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakon groaned as someone shook his shoulder. Not ready to wake up yet, he rolled over but the shaking persisted.

"Sakon?"

Sakon had a pounding headache and there was an annoying beam of light from the window which seemed to burn through his eyelids. The shaking persisted and much against his will, he began to wake up.

"Sakon!"

Letting out a loud, agonized moan, Sakon slowly opened his eyes, immediately wincing at the light.

"What?" he demanded, grumpily, closing his eyes against the blasted sunlight.

"Are you awake? Sakon?"

"Yes, yes." Sakon muttered. "I'm awake!"

"I need to talk to you."

Sakon let out an over dramatic sigh. "And this couldn't have waited WHY?"

There was a moments silence. "I murdered Gaepora."

This caused Sakon to open his eyes fully and stare up at The Postman in disbelief. "What?"

The Postman bit his bottom lip then averted his gaze. "I killed Gaepora."

Sakon was sure he still didn't hear right and sat up. "What? What are you talking about? You murdered somebody?"

The Postman took a seat next to the thief. "The mask I delivered to Gaepora...It transformed him..."

Sakon swore under his breath and rubbed at his eyes, trying to get into a better frame of mind for this. "He's dead?"

"There's a 75% chance that he is..." The Postman said uncertainly.

Sakon looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Never mind." The Postman replied, not wanting to explain. "I saw him sprout feathers and jump off the island."

"Just feathers or wings?" Sakon questioned.

"Just feathers."

Sakon swore again. "I told you not to deliver things for my uncle! I told you!" he cried. "We have to get out of here. Now."

The Postman nodded as Sakon scrambled around searching for his pants, looking generally irritated.

"You're so stupid." Sakon muttered. "They'll be out for our blood and if we don't leave now, they'll throw us in some sort of dank cell together. No offense but I really don't want to spend the rest of my life with you in an inclosed space."

"No," The Postman corrected uneasily. "They'll execute us..."

Sakon gave him a dirty look. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better."

The Postman said nothing so Sakon sighed.

"Don't worry, we'll deal with this. We just need to get away before they notice." the thief informed him. "Sometimes these things happen."

"Murder sometimes just happens?" The Postman questioned skeptically.

"When you're a villain it does." Sakon answered struggling to pull his shirt over his head.

"But I'm not a-"

"Run now, think later." Sakon instructed.

The Postman still felt uncertain about the whole situation. As Sakon pulled on one of his boots, he gave The Postman an uneasy look.

"Look, about what happened at the festival, I didn't-"

The Postman gave him a glare that clearly stated not to touch the topic so Sakon went back to lacing his boot without a word.

Once Sakon was dressed, the thief grabbed his backpack from the floor and hurriedly left the room, The Postman following silently behind.

When they entered the kitchen, they paused when they saw Pipit and his mother seated at the table eating breakfast. The knight raised a hand in greeting to them as his mother gave them a bright smile.

"Your clothes are clean and dry, dear." she said to The Postman. "They're folded on the counter there."

The Postman quickly grabbed his uniform and shoved it into Sakon's backpack. "Thank you, ma'am." he said politely, Sakon pulling him towards the door.

The woman gave them a curious look. "Don't you two want breakfast before leaving?" she questioned.

Sakon immediately shook his head, feeling positively nauseous. "Ick."

The Postman however was a bit more polite. "No thank you, ma'am. We're in a hurry and have to get going."

Pipit narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as they scurried out of the house, wondering exactly why they were in such a hurry. He felt they were up to something but knew it wasn't very knightly to assume guilt without any real reason. He'd just wait and see what came of it.

Once outside, Sakon didn't relinquish his hold on The Postman's wrist but continued pulling him as fast as he could across the island. They found the Loftwing where they'd left it and it gave an excited chirp when it saw them. As Sakon hurriedly untied the reins, the Loftwing nuzzled him with its beak in affection, happy that it was going to fly again. Sakon gave it a distracted pet then scrambled up onto its back as it obediently stayed still. As The Postman crawled up behind him, Sakon gave another aggravated sigh,

"I wasn't done with this place." he informed him.

The Postman didn't answer, his eyes watching the houses for any sign of trouble. Everything was quiet and still but he still felt uneasy. Sakon turned the Loftwing towards the island's edge then gave a slight kick to the bird's sides.

Fly!" Sakon ordered it. "Go on! Go, go, go!"

The Loftwing spread its wings wide then let out a shriek as it dove off the side of the island. Both men gripped the reins hard as it caught the wind and they shot away from Skyloft and into the endless blue once more.

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**Reviews make the author happy!  
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	6. The Storm

**Authornote:  
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**Wow, you guys! Over 800 views on the last chapter! O.o That's a huge amount of people for my strange little story! Thank you to my reviewers, you guys are what keep me going! It never fails to brighten my day when i see a new review, it makes me feel like i'm doing something right! lol I tried to make this chapter a bit better than the last one but i'm still not completely satisfied with it. I may rework it later if i'm feeling ambitious. I'll hopefully have the next chapter out in a few days. As always, don't be afraid to give me suggestions or feedback!  
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**Delivery to the Sky**

The Storm

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**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

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The morning had been pretty uneventful once the rush of escaping had died down and they hadn't seen much of anything in hours. Sakon was convinced they weren't going to find anything but The Postman had the feeling they were on the right track. His sense of direction was still spinning but every now and then he thought he could sense who he was looking for far to the North.

The Loftwing's wings seemed longer than the day before, the bird adjusting well to its new life in the sky. It looked healthier in general, its feathers gleaming a dark magenta in the sunlight. A little bit after noon, Sakon spotted a small island and took the Loftwing down for a rest. The moment it touched down, the thief hopped down, eager tot stretch his legs and inspected the tiny island as The Postman slid down to the ground.

Not finding anything of interest, Sakon plopped himself down on the edge of the island. He whistled jauntily as he dug through his backpack and The Postman took a seat next to him without a word. Sakon pulled out a fat loaf of bread, which he ripped in half, and thrust the smaller piece towards The Postman.

"Here." he said simply.

The Postman stared down at the bread but didn't move to take it. "Where did you get that?" he demanded.

Sakon took a bite of his own half before responding. "The girls showed me around Skyloft last night. I found a few interesting things in the market."

The Postman gave the offered bread another uncertain look. "Did you steal it?" he asked.

"What do you think?"

The Postman didn't like the idea of stealing from hardworking people and knew this would do nothing to endear them to the villagers. He crossed his arms and looked away with a sigh.

"If you're going to be stuck-up about it, you could always forage for nuts or berries or something." Sakon suggested, clearly not interested in what The Postman decided in the end. "I think I saw some weird looking mushrooms over by those rocks you could gnaw on."

The Postman glanced over and saw the strange orange and green mushrooms just on the other side of the island. One of them burst as he was watching and a strange yellow spore cloud floating away on the breeze. The Postman reached over and accepted the bread.

"Quit moping." Sakon ordered, with a frown. "It's getting annoying. We got away; that's all that matters."

"Yeah." The Postman agreed, somewhat reluctantly.

The Postman stared out across the sky as he ate his piece of bread, wondering what became of Gaepora. Were Fi's calculations correct? Was Gaepora likely dead and it all his fault? Was he really a murderer?

The Postman had always prided himself in being the best postman in the lands, able to deliver to anyone from anyone but lately it seemed his tenaciousness caused more problems than good. Only a little more than two months prior he'd caused an all out war between the races all because he'd managed to get himself involved with Ganondorf.

Every time The Postman delivered for or to any of the villains, something bad always happened. It seemed his actions always set off a chain reaction of other events which in turn made horrible things happen. He wanted to be an efficient postman but he didn't want creatures to get hurt because of him. Just how important was the mail in regards to a life? Should he perhaps consider re-evaluating his priorities? Exactly where would he draw the line with delivering for or to villains?

A hard, crusty piece of bread struck The Postman directly on the temple hard and he glanced over to Sakon who was giving him a disapproving look. The thief threw a second piece at him which struck his forehead and The Postman frowned.

"Hey, I said to quit moping!" Sakon said, reeling back to throw another.

"Stop that." The Postman ordered, when a third piece struck him.

"No, not until you quit looking like someone killed your mother." Sakon replied, throwing another large piece.

The Postman ducked. "I was thinking about my job." he explained.

"Yeesh." Sakon commented. "I'd look like that too if I was thinking about your crummy job."

Now that he was no longer being assaulted with bread, The Postman glanced back out into the sky. "More specifically, I was thinking about the villains I've gotten mixed up with because of my job." he continued. "Nothing good has come of me giving mail service to villains."

"Hey, I'm one of those villains!" Sakon protested. "You count me as a good thing, right?"

The Postman hesitated a long moment and Sakon scowled at him.

"I guess so." The Postman finally conceded.

Sakon gave him a dirty look. "You paused." he said. "It's too late now; you're a jerk."

"Sorry."

Sakon didn't actually seem terribly angry and gave a long, lazy stretch. He knew he was quite the despicable character and didn't expect anyone to think otherwise. "You know," Sakon began, leaning back in the grass. "The islands are getting farther and farther apart. What happens if we leave this island and never find another? I don't really feel like plummeting to my death today."

"We're going the right way." The Postman assured him.

"How do you know for sure?" Sakon asked, skeptically.

"I just know. I can feel it."

"No, darling, that's called constipation." Sakon drawled. "We should have gotten a map from Skyloft."

The Postman rolled his eyes at the thief and slowly got back to his feet.

"I'm going to see if the Loftwing is hungry." he said, crossing the short distance to the bird without another word. "It may need to hunt."

Sakon frowned as he watched The Postman run his hands through the Loftwing's feathers, speaking softly to it as he offered it the rest of his bread.

"Dumbass." the thief muttered to himself, closing his eyes.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Link raised his ocarina to his lips and played Epona's song. He had a long way to travel to find a bird statue that would take him to the sky and he hoped the Kokiri would be all right until he found them. It would take him weeks to get to the right type of statue and he knew a lot could happen in that time.

Link leaned against the entrance to Kokiri forest with a sigh, and closed his eyes as he waited for Epona to arrive. He ran a hand absently through his hair and didn't notice when a shadow passed over him. Wide yellow eyes studied him from above but Link was none the wiser.

"Hoo hoot!"

Link's eyes snapped open and he looked up in surprise. A massive brown owl was perched on the branch of a tree, its head cocked as it watched him.

"Kaepora Gaebora!" Link cried out in shock.

"Hello, young hero." the owl greeted. "You have grown since I've last seen you."

Link gave the owl a wide smile. It had been years since he'd last seen him and he had thought the owl had passed away. This was obviously not the case.

"It appears it is time for you to have a new adventure." Kaepora Gaebora stated, his eyes seeming to pierce the hero. "I see many hardships and trials ahead of you. Follow your instincts; they will lead you through the darkness to come."

Link gave a solemn nod. "I will save Saria and the rest of the Kokiri." he assured the owl.

The owl twisted its head to a painful looking angle and gave a slow blink. "Hoot. Much more is happening than you realize, young hero." he stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Without the Kokiri's magic, the world has begun to wither. Soon the lands will be nothing but dust. Within a week, the wars will start and they will be the bloodiest in all of history. Everyone will perish."

Link's eyes widened in horror. "No! I will stop it!" Link cried. "I will stop Ghirahim and save the Kokiri!"

Link then paused as a thought occurred to him. "A week? I can't get to a bird statue within a week! They're too far!"

Kaepora Gaebora gave a small series of hoots which sounded like a laugh. "There are many bird statues around." he stated. "You used my statues when you were just a child! Go to one of my statues!"

"But-but your statues can't get me to the sky..."

Kaepora Gaebora's head was now upside down as he observed the hero and he gave another laugh. "Any of the sacred statues can be used to get to the sky, they share a magical link. Go to Termina, young one, your quest starts there."

Link hadn't had any idea that the sacred statues were linked magically in such a way. If he had of known that earlier it would've helped him on many quests. Now a new hope sparked within him and he smiled up at the owl.

"Thank you, Kaepora Gaebora! I really appreciate it!"

"I am glad I could help you, young hero; that is my purpose in this world." Kaepora Gaebora said, flipping his head back around the right way. "Would you like to hear what I said again?"

"Er...no thank you."

"Very well. Good luck on your adventure, Link. We will meet again someday."

Without another word, the great owl spread its wings and flapped away, leaving Link to stare after him. There was a soft nudge against his arm and Link glanced over to see Epona waiting for him.

"Took you long enough." he mumbled, mounting her. "Come on, let's work some of that fat off of you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Postman stared straight ahead, sure they were nearing something. The sky was as empty and clear as before, but something still felt off to him. Sakon was snoring loudly, slumped against the Loftwing's neck and The Postman had hold of the reins, steering the Loftwing farther and farther North. Sometimes he'd catch a glimpse of what looked like a patch of dark clouds far ahead but every time he'd near them, they would dissipate. Sakon had fallen asleep about an hour before and The Postman let him sleep, glad to have a break from the constant teasing.

The Loftwing didn't seem tired in the least and soared contentedly, instinctively knowing this is where it belonged. As they got farther North, The Postman saw many small islands ahead and the sky began to darken, the black clouds getting thicker. The Postman knew chasing a storm probably wasn't the smartest idea when one was in the sky but he was sure there was some sort of connection between them and Ghirahim.

Fifteen minutes later, the sky was completely black and the winds had grown, the storm much closer. There was a loud rumble of thunder and the Loftwing began to get a bit nervous, struggling against the harsh winds. The Postman caught a hold of Sakon's backpack before it rolled off the Loftwing and slipped it over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving the storm. That's when the rain started and Sakon woke with a yelp of surprise, already completely soaked. He stared around himself with wide eyes, then looked over his shoulder at The Postman just as there was another crash of thunder.

"By the goddesses!" Sakon yelled over the winds. "I leave you in charge for 2 seconds and you steer the Loftwing into a hurricane!"

The Postman didn't answer, too busy trying to keep the Loftwing steady as the violent winds ripped over them. Lightening flashed just beside them, causing the Loftwing to let out a screech and Sakon visibly jumped.

"Take us down now!" the thief ordered. "Land on an island before we die!"

Still, The Postman didn't answer, his sense of direction returning in full for the first time. He now knew for a fact Ghirahim and the Kokiri were near and urged the Loftwing on, his mind now entirely on his deliveries. Another crash of thunder roared around them, and Sakon reached out to grab the reins away from The Postman.

"We're landing!" Sakon bellowed, trying to be heard over the storm. "I'm not dying because of your stupid job!

The rain was coming down so hard, they couldn't see around them and Sakon squinted, trying in vain to see anything below them. Lightening was flashing all around them now, and the Loftwing was in a full panic, flying blind and not listening to Sakon's commands. The black clouds seemed to be gathering in just one spot ahead of them, the winds ripping about violently, the rain stinging painfully. The clouds began to swirl and spin as the wind ripped at them and Sakon swore, his eyes on the dangerous funnel of clouds.

"You steered us directly into a tornado!" he screamed back accusingly at The Postman. "If I die, it's your fault!"

The Postman stared at the tornado ahead, sure he could see something deep within it, some sort of a swirling energy. The tornado spun in place almost as if it were watching them, and The Postman wiped the rain out of his eyes as he stared back. He knew this was the right way and felt determination rise in him.

There was a loud roar of thunder as the sky was lit up by a huge flash of lightening and the tornado spun all the faster. Sakon wrapped the reins around his wrists, trying his best to get in control of the situation but the storm seemed to have other ideas. The tornado came at them without warning and both let out a cry of surprise as it slammed into them with the force of a brick wall. The Postman was violently thrown from the Loftwing's back and he only got a glimpse of the Loftwing and Sakon being pulled in the opposite direction as he fell down into the darkness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Link rode Epona as fast as she could go towards Termina. He didn't know of any bird statues in Hyrule so he would take Kaepora Gaebora's advice and find the nearest one in Termina. He had used the Terminian statues often as a child and knew where every one was located. It was several hours ride to the outskirts of Termina and Link hoped the Kokiri could hold out until he got there.

Epona wheezed at the exertion, having grown lazy during her stay with Sakon, and let out a loud snort when Link urged her faster. She'd quite enjoyed her two months being spoiled as a pet and this unwanted exercise left her out of breath and irritable.

When they reached the outskirts of Termina, Epona slowed down, despite Link urging her to go faster, and crossed the fields at a walk. Giving in, Link allowed her to catch her breath as they headed for the swamp.

Even Termina was affected by the Kokiri's disappearance, the plants and trees brown and dead everywhere he looked. Link realized the entire world was turning into a wasteland and knew people would start dying if he didn't save the Kokiri.

Passing Clocktown, Epona clopped her way through the empty log outside of the swamp, still breathing hard and Link petted her neck encouragingly. The Jellies they passed seemed a lot smaller than usual, almost as if they were evaporating, and none bothered the hero in the least. Despite the jellies being monsters, Link still felt concerned for them. Their entire race was in jeopardy and if Link wasn't fast enough, they'd disappear completely.

Epona reached the entrance to the swamp and just as they were about to enter, a voice called out startling him.

"Mr. Fairy!"

Link stopped Epona and glanced one way then the other. There was no one in sight.

"Mr. Fairy! Up here! Look up, Mr. Fairy!"

Link looked up and saw Tingle floating with his bright red balloon, just a few feet over the hero's head.

"Tingle?" Link questioned, wondering how the fairy man had managed to sneak up on him.

"Yes, Mr. Fairy!" Tingle cried, looking incredibly pleased with himself. "Tingle has finally found you!"

Link was silent as he watched the strange little fairy man pull on a few strings on his balloon, lowering himself to Link's eye-level.

"Tingle has been looking and looking for you, sir!"

"What is it, Tingle?" Link asked.

"Tingle needs your help; something terrible has happened! Something horrible!"

Link felt concerned and wondered how the drought was affecting the normally happy and cheery Tingle. "What happened?" Link asked. "Is someone hurt? Are you hurt?"

Tingle violently shook his head. "No, sir, it is much worse than that!"

Link wondered what could possibly be worse than someone being hurt. "What is it?" he asked again.

" The fairy springs in Clocktown have all dried up! All the fairies have left and now Tingle will never get a fairy of his own! They're gone!"

"...oh." Link responded, used to much bigger calamities than that. "They're probably up in the mountains. Fairies migrate when their springs dry up..."

"Bring them back, Mr. Fairy!" Tingle cried, the perfect picture of desperation. "Bring back the fairies for Tingle!"

"They'll come back once the water is restored." Link informed him. "When I rescue the Kokiri the water will-"

"Save the fairies, sir!" Tingle interrupted, his face crumpling in grief. "Please, please save them!"

Link stared at the small man whose eyes were brimming with tears and found himself nodding. "I'll save them." Link assured him. "I'll bring the fairies back."

Tingle was instantly all smiles and he let out a deep breath of relief. "Thank you, sir! Thank you! Please bring them back!"

"I will." Link promised.

Tingle then threw a handful of sparkles into Link's face. "Tingle, Tingle, Koo-loo Limpah! These are the magic words Tingle created himself. It will bring you good luck! Don't steal them!"

As Link rode into the swamp, Tingle beamed, once again having hope that he'd one day have a fairy of his own. He danced his finest fairy dance as the hero disappeared from sight.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Postman was surrounded by darkness, unable to see and unable to move. The darkness seemed to be a physical force, holding him in place and he could do nothing except wait. The space about him wasn't empty as it should have been and he could hear whispers and movement all around him. The darkness seemed to have a life of its own and several times he felt something brush up against him but could never see what it was. Vaguely, he wondered if he was either dead or dreaming but there was nothing to give him a clue, he could only float weightlessly in the void.

There was a deep chuckle from somewhere deep within the darkness and The Postman looked all around himself uselessly.

"You are not what I expected." a loud disembodied voice informed him. "I was expecting someone else."

"I apologize." The Postman said automatically. "I didn't mean to inconvenience you. Did you cause the storm, sir?"

'I did."

"Am I dead then?" The Postman asked in trepidation.

Again, there was a chuckle. "Not yet." the voice informed him. "Where would the fun be in that?"

The Postman then recognized the voice and again tried to see through the darkness. He was turned this way and that as he was looked over but he still couldn't move. He could feel the eyes burning into him as he was inspected and remained silent, simply waiting.

"You don't seem like much." Ghirahim informed him. "How did you find me?"

"I can find anyone, sir."

"I knew someone was following me," Ghirahim drawled lazily. "At first I ignored you but you seem quite determined. What is it you want? Are you attempting to steal back the Kokiri?"

The Postman shook his head although he wasn't sure Ghirahim could really see him. "No, sir."

"Then what is it you want?" Ghirahim demanded. "I'm a very busy man and don't have time to be bothered by you."

"I have a letter for you, sir."

"A letter? Who are you?"

"I'm a postman, Mr. Ghirahim. I was asked to deliver a letter to you. I've come from Hyrule below the clouds."

"A postman?" Ghirahim asked skeptically. "You're a postman?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a pause then Ghirahim let out a snort. "You expect me to believe that?" he demanded. "No postman would come within a league of me."

"I take my job very seriously." The Postman responded. "I do have a letter for you, sir, I'm just not sure where it is at the moment...or where I am at the moment..."

"You're within my tornado." Ghirahim replied. "You can't escape until I allow it. I can keep you here for all of time if I choose it."

"That would be very inconvenient.'

"I remember you now..." Ghirahim stated thoughtfully. "You were in the forest when I kidnapped that little Kokiri girl..."

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm. I could keep you here or kill you, but you aren't worth my time." Ghirahim said dismissively. "Be grateful that you're a nobody. I have other things to concern myself with at the moment."

"But, Mr. Ghirahim-"

"If you somehow survive the fall, I suggest you stop following me." Ghirahim said, his voice beginning to fade. "Next time, I may not be so merciful."

Without any warning whatsoever, The Postman felt the hold on him release and he began plummeting downwards fast. "Wait! What about your letter, sir?" The Postman cried, as the darkness began to fade.

There was no answer and suddenly The Postman realized he was outside of the storm and falling fast towards the floor of clouds. He fell faster and faster, the wind burning his eyes as he fell and The Postman covered his face, not wanting to see the ground when he approached it. That's when he felt strong talons grab him by the shoulders, stopping his fall. The Postman let out a breath of relief and opened his eyes. He looked up, ready to thank Sakon, but it wasn't the Loftwing which had hold of him. It was a large brown owl. The Postman immediately recognized him.

"Mr. Gaepora?"

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**Reviews make the author happy**


	7. Cold and Wet

**Authornote:**

**So sorry everyone for the slow update! Work decided to be extra busy this week so I had like next to no time to write! Hopefully it won't take me a week to get the next chapter out! lol As always, thank you to my wonderful reviewers! You guys always have such nice things to say! Any thoughts or comments are always welcome.  
**

**PS:  
**

**Here's a funny story for you. So the other day my mother found my writing binder and read my ENTIRE story up to this point. Take note that my mother has never so much as held a game controller let alone played one so this surprised me. I waited patiently to see what she thought, curious as to how the story would stand up when the reader knows nothing about Zelda. Once she was finished all 250 or so pages, she turns to me and the only thing she says is "What's a Zora?" I honestly did a facepalm.  
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A Delivery to the Sky

Cold and Wet

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The Postman stared up at the enormous owl, not sure any of it was really happening. As big as the owl was, it seemed unlikely it would be able to hold his weight. The owl let out a long loud hoot, and slowly began descending.

"Mr. Gaepora, sir! You're not dead!" The Postman cried, feeling both relieved and confused.

"Hoot, hoot." the owl responded, glancing down at him. "I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else, postman. I am known as Kaepora Gaebora."

The Postman hesitated before responding. "No you aren't...You're Gaepora."

"You are mistaken, young postman."

"I'm not."

"I told you, you are mistaken."

The owl's talons were very sharp and The Postman winced a moment before replying.. "No, sir, you're the headmaster Gaepora from Skyloft. Don't you remember anything, sir?"

The owl glanced down at him, ever patient. "I have never been a headmaster, I've always been an owl." Kaepora Gaebora informed him. "For many decades now, I've been offering my advice to those that need it. I have never been a man."

The Postman furrowed his brow. He'd never mistaken someone's identity before, even if they were transformed. He was sure this was Gaepora and wondered if the owl could remember anything at all. "Decades?" The Postman questioned. "But I just saw you last night, sir! Do you remember?"

Kaepora Gaebora seemed to consider this. "Hoot. Time is a tricky thing, postman. It doesn't always move forward as it should. It isn't uncommon for two people to meet out of order. One can never be sure when you're going to have a first meeting."

The Postman wiped the rain out of his eyes, feeling very confused. "But I'm sure that-"

Kaepora Gaebora interrupted him as he swooped down low towards an island. "I will set you down on this island, postman." he said. "I cannot carry you for long."

The Postman's shoulders were aching and as he glanced down at the small island, he realized he wanted very much to be on solid ground again. The owl dropped him down onto the grass then perched nearby on a rock, watching him silently.

The Postman gave his head a shake, his hair and clothes completely soaked then looked up at the owl with a frown. In no way did Kaepora Gaebora seem to be wearing a mask, his feathers were seamless and he truly looked like a real owl. Wondering how one would go about trying to remove the mask, The Postman took a step closer to him. Kaepora Gaepbora seemed to know what was on his mind and flapped his wings in warning, keeping The Postman several feet away. The Postman hesitated and noticed the owl's talons and beak looked very sharp indeed. He decided to hold off on trying to remove the mask. At least for now.

Kaepora Gaepbora eyed him a moment then finally spoke. "I have come to aid you in your quest, postman." he said. "I have already fulfilled my first duty and will leave you shortly."

"Quest?" The Postman asked in surprise. "What quest?"

"You have your own quest, postman, and you're more important than you realize." Kaepora Gaepbora informed him. "Don't be afraid of what is to come."

"...but I'm only delivering the mail." The Postman responded in confusion. "I'm not on a quest!"

This seemed to amuse the owl and he let out a small, hooting chuckle. "You're on a very important quest." he corrected.

"No, I'm not on a quest." The Postman stated, stubbornly. "Sorry, sir, but you are mistaken."

Kaepora Gaepbora let out another chuckle. "Am I?"

The Postman wasn't sure how to respond to this and gave a frown. What quest was he supposedly on? Did Kaepora Gaepbora expect him to save the Kokiri? Was he supposed to defeat Ghirahim?

"I'm not a hero, sir." The Postman informed him hotly. "I cannot fight villains nor can I rescue the Kokiri. That is not my job."

Kaepora Gaepbora cocked his head to the side. "Those are someone else's quest, postman. You have your own purpose. Hoo hoot."

The Postman had a hunch about whose quest they fell under and felt a fraction better. He still wasn't going to accept a quest, but at least he knew no one was depending on him for saving the world. "Then what is my quest?" he demanded.

"Hoot. That I cannot tell you." the owl responded. "For you to succeed, you cannot know what it is. You have to brave this quest blind."

"And if I don't want to be a part of this quest?" The Postman demanded, crossing his arms.

"You do not have a choice in the matter, postman. You're already a part of it."

The Postman didn't think that was very fair and gave the owl an obvious glower. He wasn't a hero and had no interest in quests. He was a postman and didn't have the first clue how to even do a quest.

"As I said before, sir, quests are not part of my job description. I deliver mail and that's all I intend to do."

Kaepora Gaepbora seemed genuinely amused by him and turned his head completely upside down. "You cannot avoid it, postman, it is fate. No matter where you run, it will find you."

"I've never been a fan of fate." The Postman said with a resigned sigh. "It always has a way of disrupting my schedule."

"My job here is done, postman. Keep safe until we meet again."

"Wait! How-"

The Postman never got to finish his sentence as Kaepora Gaepbora spread his wings and flew off without another word. The Postman stared after him, then glanced around the small island.

"But how can I get off the island..." he stated lamely.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Link soared through the air, his crimson Loftwing riding the wind as he clutched at its feathers. Every time he flew, Link felt an inexplicable happiness fill him, the wind and sun on his face exhilarating. Despite the current circumstances of his visit to the sky, Link let out a breath of delight and closed his eyes, simply wanting to enjoy the flight. He rarely got to fly these days, most of his quests keeping him below the clouds. He was relishing every minute as the wind ripped its way through his hair and encouraged his Loftwing to go faster and faster.

All too soon, Skyloft came into view and he jumped from his Loftwing's back as they flew over it. Used to such jumps, Link spread his arms and legs, increasing wind resistance and leaned towards the area of Skyloft he wanted. Just metres from the ground, he lifted his sailcloth and allowed it to catch the wind, instantly slowing his fall. He landed easily on his feet and then looked up in surprise as a large group of people quickly approached him.

Pipit led the group and when he saw it was Link, he gave the hero a friendly smile and wave.

"Link!" he yelled over to him. "Hi!"

Link waved back but could easily see discontent in the eyes of everyone approaching. Once the crowd reached him, he received many welcomes and pats on the back but there was a definite restlessness that he picked up on.

"What's the matter?" Link asked Pipit. "What happened?"

"Headmaster Gaepora is missing." Pipit informed him, his smile disappearing.

Link's eyes widened. "Missing?"

"We noticed him gone this morning when he missed an important meeting. No one's seen him since yesterday's festival and his Loftwing is still here. There's no way he could have left the island on his own..."

Link felt trepidation rise. "Was he kidnapped?"

Pipit gave a helpless shrug as Horwell approached to join the conversation.

"We're not certain, Link, but we're definitely looking into it." Horwell said. "There were two strangers who showed up just as the festival began and now they're nowhere to be found. Several people saw them leaving this morning and they seemed in quite a hurry. So far our efforts to find them have been fruitless."

Link's hero instincts instantly caused him to be on guard. "Strangers? What strangers? What did they look like?" he demanded.

Pipit was quick to speak up since he'd spoken to them the most. "We've never seen them before. They claimed to be from below the clouds and said they were on a quest for one of the goddesses."

"What did they look like?"

"They were in their early thirties, one was bald-headed and loud-mouthed and the other had dark hair, was very quiet and was wearing very short white shorts."

Link had a suspicion as to who the strangers were and frowned. "Did they tell you their names or what they were up to?"

"The bald one said he was some sort of king named Sakon but I didn't catch the other one's name. He was a herald or post-person or something."

Link sighed. How was it that The Postman always managed to get himself involved in his quests every single time?

"I can't imagine them being responsible for Gaepora's disappearance." Link stated. "Did they say or do anything unusual to indicate what they were up to?"

"No, not really." Pipit answered thoughtfully. "The herald delivered a mask to Gaepora but that was about it for him. The bald one drank himself into a stupor but he didn't bother anyone."

Link felt dread fill him at the mention of a mask. Horrible memories of a falling moon entered his vision and he took a deep breath. "A mask?" he demanded. "Gaepora was given a mask?"

"Yes." Pipit said with a nod. "Why? Is that somehow related to his disappearance?"

"What kind of a mask was it?" Link asked, taking a step forward. "What did it look like? Did Gaepora put it on?"

"He wore it all night at the festival. It was of some kind of bird; a Loftwing maybe?" Pipit answered.

"Did he act strangely? Was there anything off about him that you noticed?"

"No." Pipit replied answered honestly. "He was himself all night."

"Where did the mask come from? Who was the sender?" Link asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Hmm," Pipit said, scratching at his head. "I'm not sure the herald said who it was from..."

"No, he did." Horwell interjected. "He said it was from a salesman from Hyrule, below the clouds."

Link felt his heart sink at that. There had been a small part of him that had been hoping The Happy Mask Salesman hadn't been involved. The Happy Mask Salesman was rarely up to any good and the dealings Link had with him usually ended with some poor soul being possessed by a mask. Dreading what had become of Gaepora, Link steeled himself. He wondered how The Postman had managed to get himself involved in this and what part Sakon played. He honestly couldn't picture The Postman intentionally hurting anyone.

"So, it did involve the mask?" Pipit asked. "The herald was responsible?"

Link let out a heavy sigh. "Probably not knowingly responsible."

"Then you know the strangers." Horwell stated. "You've met them before."

Link gave a nod. "Yes. Below the clouds Sakon is a well-known thief and the herald is a public postman."

"A thief?" Pipit cried out, affronted. "He was a thief?"

Link nodded.

"We had a few items go missing from the bazaar but we thought they had simply been misplaced, not stolen." Horwell said thoughtfully.

"The nerve!" Pipit yelled, completely outraged. "We showed them kindness and this was how we were repaid?"

"I'll deal with it." Link assured him. "But I've come on other business for the moment."

"Of course." Pipit said, instantly sombre. "Anything I can help you with?"

Horwell held up his hand to stop Link before he could speak. "It's getting late, Link, the sun is beginning to set. Perhaps we should speak of this inside?"

Link gazed at the sinking sun then gave a nod. He knew at this point he'd have to put his quest on hold as his Loftwing still couldn't fly at night.

Horwell put his hand on Link's shoulder. "Come inside and join my family for supper. You can tell us about your quest then."

Link gave a nod and Horwell led him through the crowd, Pipit following close behind, not wanting to be left out of the upcoming conversation.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Postman sat, knees drawn up under his chin, cold and wet. He'd taken a blanket out of Sakon's backpack and wrapped it around his shoulders, but it did little good as the blanket was wet. Everything in the backpack was soaked from the rain and two soggy letters sat by his feet. The Postman was staring down at them miserably, the ink on the front wet and smeared. They were ruined and he'd never felt so much like a failure as he did now. This was the first time he'd accidentally ruined a letter.

Once, when he'd been in a particularly bad mood, he'd fed a letter to a goat but that was only because the writing on the envelope was illegible. He wouldn't have been able to return it to the sender anyway, so he felt it was justified. This, however, was inexcusable. He'd damaged them and that was a sign of a poor postman.

Resting his chin on top of his knees, he wondered what had happened to Sakon. He really hoped he was all right; the storm had been a violent one. Sakon was clever and had survived this far so it seemed unlikely that it would be a storm to take him down. The Postman closed his eyes, Sakon's last words coming back to him and he let out a disheartened sigh. 'If I die it's your fault!' If Sakon was dead then it really was his fault. He may not have killed Gaepora but he would be responsible for Sakon's death. He'd steered the Loftwing into the storm without any concern for consequences.

The Postman normally had a very high tolerance for cold but he was completely soaked and the wind seemed to bite right through him. Wrapping the blanket more tightly around himself, he gave a shiver and attempted sleep, hoping to push his thoughts aside.

For hours he drifted in and out of a troubled sleep, his mind full of visions of owls and storms. When the first rays of sunlight began to creep across the sky, The Postman was still in a fitful sleep and didn't hear the loud beating of wings above his head. He was awoken a minute later however when he received a hard punch in the shoulder.

Letting out a yelp of surprise, The Postman looked up to see a very angry Sakon raising his fist to hit him a second time.

"Moron!" Sakon yelled, bringing his fist down onto the same shoulder. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Every word was accompanied by another punch to the shoulder and The Postman instinctively raised his hands to stop the assault. Sakon placed his hands on his hips and glowered down at him, looking very much like he wanted to hit him again.

"Stupid!" Sakon growled in frustration. "I've been looking for you since last night! I thought you were dead, you stupid dumbass!"

"Sorry..." The Postman said, rubbing at his now bruised shoulder.

"You should be! When you fell, I was sure you'd gone through the cloud barrier! The Loftwing was really freaked and I couldn't get it to go below the clouds to look for you! I've been searching these teensy little islands since yesterday looking for your carcass!"

Sakon had his fists balled at his side, practically shaking with fury. "How could you have been so unbelievably stupid? You almost killed the both of us!"

The Postman stopped rubbing his shoulder and gave the thief a truly apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Sakon. It was stupid of me; I wasn't thinking. I'm glad you're alright."

Sakon seemed to soften at that and he let out an exasperated sigh. Crossing he arms, he gave The Postman a frown.

"You look terrible." he commented. "Are you sick?"

The Postman was feeling a bit off but he shook his head. "I'm fine."

Sakon didn't look convinced so The Postman changed the subject. "I saw Gaepora last night; he's not dead."

"Oh, really?" Sakon questioned, looking as though he couldn't care less. "Then he did turn into a bird?"

"Yes, he was an owl." The Postman responded. "He's the one who caught me."

Sakon hesitated as he thought that over. "...that's one big owl" he said thoughtfully. "...although I suppose he was pretty big and fat as a human..."

Sakon leaned against the islands only rock formation and gave a lazy stretch. "So why did he save you? If anyone turned me into a bird, I'd watch them splat with pleasure."

The Postman furrowed his brow and stared down at his feet thoughtfully. "He said I'm destined to go on a quest."

"You? A quest?" Sakon asked skeptically. "What kind of quest?"

The Postman gave a shrug. "He wouldn't say."

"Pft, he's just trying to pay you back. You refused right?"

The Postman gave a nod, still not looking up. "I told him I wouldn't but he said it doesn't matter. Either way it's going to happen. I don't have a choice in the matter."

"Why don't we just go home then?" Sakon suggested. "It's a lot safer down there. Not as many people want you dead."

"I can't." The Postman said, staring gloomily at the damp letters. "I still have to deliver my mail."

Sakon followed his line of vision and then reached out and picked up one of the soggy letters. "Um, no offense, but I don't think you can deliver these."

The Postman sighed.

Sakon held up the limp envelope, inspecting it then said. "Well, at least they only got wet and didn't catch on fire or get covered in horse dung or something."

The Postman snatched back the letter. "It's not funny."

Sakon let out a giggle, his usual impish gleam in his eyes. "Yeah, it kinda is..." he commented, grabbing the other letter. "You've killed the letters."

The Postman did not like people touching the mail and instantly stood to his feet. "Give that back, Sakon!"

Sakon's response was to begin folding the letter, grinning wide. "I could try my hand at origami or use it for paper mache; then at least it would be good for something."

The Postman was horrified and made a grab at the letter. "Stop!" he cried. "You're bending it!"

"Just do what other postmen do and claim it was already like that."

"NO!" The Postman yelled making another grab for it.

Sakon gave him a cheeky grin and held it out of his reach which infuriated The Postman.

"Sakon!"

Sakon gave a laugh, always loving getting The Postman so riled up. "We could also claim they were sent by a Zora, hence the sogginess. They'd probably buy that one!"

"Sakon, give it back before you damage it even more!"

"Um, no."

The Postman gave him a look of death then let out a resigned sigh. "They're already ruined. I can't deliver them." he stated, looking away. "It's my fault."

"Naw, they're just wet, not ruined." Sakon assured him. "I can see what I can do if you like."

The Postman gave him a downright suspicious look, causing Sakon to giggle.

"Trust me, darling. When you live on the run, your things tend to get wet. I can probably save them."

The Postman hesitated a long moment then handed over the other letter. He was willing to try anything, even if that meant trusting a kleptomaniac with his mail.

The moment Sakon had both letters, he immediately began tearing into the envelopes to The Postman's utter horror. The Postman shot to his feet and made a lunge at the letters.

"What are you doing?" he cried out in dismay. "You can't open other people's mail!"

"Relax." Sakon assured, shoving him away. "I'm not going to read your stupid letters."

The Postman was simply beside himself, this going against everything he stood for as a postman, and watched Sakon like a hawk, ready to pounce for the letters.

True to his word for once, Sakon simply pulled the letters from the envelopes, unfolded them and laid them face down on the grass. He placed a small stone on each the looked back at the distraught postman.

"Once they're dry, I'll use a quill and ink to go over the words if I can still see them. They'll be as good as new."

"You're not allowed to read the letters." The Postman said, his tone not leaving room to negotiate. "If you ink them, you'll read them."

"Then you do it." Sakon said. "You're the postman, not me."

The Postman frowned as he considered that. He wasn't allowed to read the letters either unless the recipient specifically asked him to read it to them. Was it alright in this circumstance? Was an exception to be made?

Sakon glanced back at him and returned the frown. "Are you sure you're not sick? You look sick."

The Postman really didn't feel all that great but he still shook his head. "I'm fine, just tired."

Sakon let out a snort. "You better not spread your disease to me." he informed him. "That's all I need."

Sakon bent down and grabbed a hold of his soggy backpack. Dumping the contents all over the grass to air out, he flashed The Postman an annoyed look.

"If anything's ruined, you're buying me new stuff."

"You never bought it in the first place."

Sakon let out a giggle. "True enough."

Sakon gave a long, lazy stretch then leaned against the rock behind him. "So what're we gonna do about this quest of yours?"

The Postman hesitated. "I don't know."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Link took a long drink of pumpkin juice as everyone looked at him expectantly. Setting the cup down on the table, Link let out a sigh and opened his mouth to begin the tale. He was immediately interrupted, however, when the door slammed open and Groose stormed in wild-eyed and red pompadour out of place. Rushing over, the former bully leaned over the table, staring directly at Link as he caught his breath.

"What's this I hear about you having a new quest?" he demanded excitedly. "Did you come to ask for my help?"

"Uh..."

Groose plunked himself down at the table beside Link, still leaning forward in anticipation, one of his hands working furiously to fix his hair. "Well?" he demanded. "Spill it!"

"I'm searching for Ghirahim." Link stated simply.

All of Skyloft had heard of Link's heroics below the clouds and knew of Ghirahim and his master Demise. Groose had told them all about it and now narrowed his eyes at this information.

"Ghirahim? I thought we killed that guy?" Groose said, indignantly. "He's still alive?"

Link gave a nod. "I thought he was dead too until yesterday." he said uneasily. "Ghirahim was seen and now I'm sure he's planning something horrible. He kidnapped the Kokiri and the world below us is starting to wilt. Within a week there will be no food or water and the wars will begin."

Groose slammed a fist down on the table hard, causing several goblets to topple over. "Well, let's get him!" he bellowed out enthusiastically. "I haven't beat anyone up in at least a month!"

Link knew Groose would willingly fight by his side but Ghirahim was far too powerful and the red-head would be more hindrance than help.

"No, this is something I have to do on my own. I can handle it, but thank you anyway Groose."

Groose crossed his arms. "You didn't think you needed help last time either." he pointed out. "Where would've you been without my inventions?"

"Yes." Link acknowledged. "But this is my quest and I don't want anyone getting hurt. I have a feeling things are going to turn ugly."

"All the more reason for me to come!" Groose protested.

Link shook his head. "Please understand, I have to do this alone."

Groose definitely didn't look happy but he did grudgingly give a nod. "If you need help, just send word." he said, chin held high. "I'll always come beat people up for ya!"

Link couldn't help but smile at that. "Thanks, Groose."

"So if you're not here for backup, then what do you want?" Groose demanded.

"Ghirahim's not down below so I'm sure he's hiding somewhere in the sky. I don't know exactly what he's planning yet but I know I have to find him and find him fast. I was hoping someone from Skyloft has seen or heard anything unusual?"

"Other than headmaster Gaepora's disappearance, everything's been very peaceful and no one has mentioned anything unusual." Horwell told him.

Link nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. So far he didn't have any leads and had no way to track Ghirahim down. How would he find the villain if he didn't know the direction to look?

"Forget your troubles for one night." Horwell suggested. "Have some food and drink, visit your friends and worry about your quest in the morning. Let yourself relax for one night."

The offer seemed very tempting to Link and he knew he was on Skyloft for the night anyway so he gave a nod. Groose grinned widely and clapped him hard on the back.

"I would have chosen the wine too!" he commented. "Now tell us about all your adventures!"

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**Reviews make the author happy  
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	8. The Journey to Ghirahim

**Authornote:  
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**Hey everyone! This chapter's just a short one but the next will be longer, i promise! So, there was a bit of confusion on the timeline that someone let me know about, so I'm just going to let you guys know again that there is no set timeline in my story. It's a combination of all the games I like best. If you try to figure out the timeline, your head WILL explode. How else could i have both Ghirahim and Ganondorf in one story? :D It's so much more fun for me this way. So, if you're squinting, trying to figure out a timeline, you might as well give up! lolol  
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**Thank you once again to my reviewers, you guys are keeping me motivated to finish this and i thank you! As always, don't be afraid to give me suggestions or ideas no matter what it is. Any feedback is always appreciated! Enjoy the chapter and please don't forget to review!  
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**A Delivery to the Sky**

The Journey to Ghirahim

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The Postman held a quill over the newly dried letters and hesitated. "This seems rather dishonest." he commented.

"Would you rather tell them you destroyed their mail?" Sakon asked.

"No." The Postman answered, dipping the quill into the inkwell. "I suppose not."

The Postman could read almost anything and despite the words being smeared and faded, he could still make out what it said. He carefully began going over the words, matching Link's printing the best he could. Sakon was watching over his shoulder with interest and was quite impressed.

"A perfect forgery!" the thief exclaimed. "You have his messy printing spot-on! You even got that weird squiggle he uses for an 'M'! If you're interested, I'd have a very good use for that talent!"

The Postman paused and gave Sakon an unimpressed look.

"Just keep it in mind." Sakon said with a shrug.

Not saying a word, The Postman went back to what he was doing as Sakon continued watching over his shoulder. After a few minutes, the thief let out a snort.

"What a stupid letter." he commented. "It's not even smutty. Why are you even delivering this?"

The Postman covered the letter with one hand and shoved Sakon away with the other. "Stop reading other people's mail!" he ordered. "It's none of your business!"

"Touchy, touchy." Sakon said, feigning hurt. "It was just an observation."

"The letter's for a ten year old girl." The Postman responded impatiently.

Sakon crinkled his nose in distaste. "Oh. Well, that's not very interesting."

Finished with the letter, The Postman set it aside to dry and picked up the other. Ganondorf's handwriting was small and neat, the letters curving elegantly and The Postman began going over the words carefully. Sakon was leaning very obviously over his shoulder, much more interested in what this letter had to say. The Postman did his best to ignore Sakon but it was kind of difficult when the thief's chin was resting on his shoulder.

"You're very good at this." Sakon observed.

"Stop reading it." The Postman demanded impatiently. "It's not right and I'm breaking enough rules as it is."

"Why? You're reading it!" Sakon pointed out. "And besides, this one's really juicy."

The Postman tried to cover the letter with one hand as he continued but Sakon simply leaned further over his shoulder so he could see.

"I bet you've never written so many expletives in your life." Sakon stated in amusement. "I don't even know what some of those words mean!"

The Postman gave a resigned sigh and continued writing. When he was finished, several minutes later, he set it aside with the other then straightened and handed Sakon back his quill and ink. He approached the strewn about items on the ground and began looking for his uniform without a word, as Sakon gave him a questioning look. Once he'd found it, he pulled the heavy wool shirt off that he'd gotten from Skyloft and slipped on his white tank top.

Sakon raised an eyebrow. "You're really going to wear your postal uniform again when it's like minus five billion up here?"

"I'm a postman, I'm always supposed to wear my uniform. It's unprofessional to deliver letters in casual clothes."

"You're going to get even sicker." Sakon pointed out.

"I'm not sick." The Postman insisted. "Just tired."

"Hmm, whatever."

Once he was back in his proper uniform, The Postman approached the Loftwing, who up to that point, had been settled on the other side of the island preening its feathers contentedly. He petted it for a moment then glanced over at Sakon.

"Think the Loftwing can fly again so soon?"

"Zigzag can handle anything." Sakon assured him.

The Postman frowned. "You named it?"

"Course I did." Sakon replied, walking over. "I have to call him something don't I?"

"You can't keep him, you know. He belongs to Ganondorf."

Sakon shook his head. "He's mine now."

"Do you really need a reason for Ganondorf to hate you even more?"

Sakon gave a careless shrug. "I don't think he can hate me more than he already does. One little Loftwing won't make a difference."

The Postman had seen how deep Ganondorf 's anger and hate could reach and knew the amount of contempt shown to Sakon was nowhere near what it could be. Compared to The Hero of Time, the thief was just a bothersome nuisance to Ganondorf.

"I don't think you should push it." The Postman suggested.

Ignoring him, Sakon began shoving his belongings back into his backpack carelessly and The Postman frowned at him, deciding to drop the subject.

The Postman knelt down next to the letters to check if they were dry and looked them over carefully. The paper itself was water-stained but dry to the touch and the words were black and clear. Supposing they would have to do, he folded them over neatly then handed them to Sakon who put them in one of the many pouches on his backpack.

"Okay, ready?" Sakon asked, slipping on the backpack.

The Postman gave a nod so the thief quickly mounted the Loftwing and held down a hand to help him up. The Postman accepted the help and once he was settled, Sakon gave the reins a snap and the Loftwing let out a happy shriek and immediately dove off the side of the island. Its wings caught the wind and once it was steady, Sakon glanced over his shoulder at The Postman.

"Don't breathe on me." he ordered.

"I'm not sick!" The Postman protested.

"Just don't breathe on me." Sakon said, turning his attention forward. "Any idea which direction to go?"

The Postman knew exactly where Ghirahim was. Ever since their last meeting, it was like a spell had been broken and his sense of direction was restored in full. He could now sense both Ghirahim and the Kokiri and had no doubt about where he'd find them. Raising a hand he pointed.

"Just keep going North." he told the thief.

Sakon didn't question him and turned the Loftwing to the North.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ganondorf stared out the window at the city below, his discontent growing. It was now day three and the Gerudos' food and water was already starting to get low. The very young, elderly or pregnant were given the biggest shares and the others who were young and strong received very little. Ganondorf himself refused anything that was offered to him, knowing he could last a lot longer than the others. He'd tried every spell he was capable of but nothing made any difference. The wells remained dry and the plants were still shrivelled and dead.

The Gerudos had been making many trips down to the river to get as much water as possible but now the river was completely dry. He'd sent out scouts to gather information on the other tribes but only the Gorons weren't affected. The Zoras had taken to protecting what little water remained in Lake Hylia and wouldn't let anyone near. The Hylians were in just as dangerous a situation as the Gerudos so Ganondorf knew he'd have to focus on the Zoras entirely.

Turning away from the window, Ganondorf closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. If the water wasn't restored soon, the Gerudos would have no choice but to declare war on the Zoras. His Gerudos were thirsty and weak from hunger and the Zoras would have the definite advantage on them. The Zoras could be vicious when provoked and in such a desperate situation, they'd be downright bloodthirsty. There would be no way they'd be willing to negotiate over the water, especially not with Gerudos. For the Gerudos to live a bit longer, the Zoras would have to be completely annihilated.

Taking a seat in his throne, Ganondorf sat head in hand silently, his mind troubled. If the water wasn't restored in four days, he'd give the order to attack. He'd ensure his people's survival no matter what it took.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"There!" The Postman declared. "Land down there!"

Sakon looked down at the large island below and took the Loftwing down without a word. He landed it directly in front of an enormous temple then glanced over his shoulder at The Postman.

"Geralem, or whatever his name is, is in there?" he questioned.

At The Postman's nod, he squinted up at the temple with a frown. "What's with villains and big, creepy temples?" he demanded. "Sure we all have hideouts but this is just a bit too obvious..."

The temple was large, made of black stone and was covered in vines. Skulltulas could be seen scurrying here and there and the temple looked like it hadn't been used in a very, very long time. The temple did not look inviting in the least and Sakon hesitated.

"You're sure this is the right place?"

Again, The Postman nodded.

Sakon slid to the ground and hesitantly approached the doors. The Postman, feeling incredibly nauseous, went to follow Sakon but slipped as he was dismounting and ended up falling awkwardly on the ground.

Sakon raised an eyebrow. "Very graceful." he commented.

A bit embarrassed, The Postman got back to his feet and approached Sakon who was staring at the strange words written above the doorway.

"What's that?" Sakon demanded. "Some sort of weird sky language?"

"It's ancient Terminian." The Postman replied. "It says-"

"You know ancient Terminian?" Sakon asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Why? What use could you possibly have for that in your profession? And where did you even learn it?"

The Postman gave Sakon a pointed look. "I didn't drop out of school when I was nine." he stated.

Sakon rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get this stupid delivery over with."

"Um, but the doors says-"

"Who cares what it says?" Sakon interrupted. "Let's find Gerrard and give him his letter before it gets dark."

"But Sakon-"

The Postman was cut off when Sakon reached out and grasped the door handle. There was a crackle of energy then Sakon let out a yelp and retracted his hands.

"It shocked me!"

Furrowing his brow, Sakon gave his hands a shake then reached out to try again. This time the shock was enough to shake his entire body and Sakon fell back a step, wincing in pain.

"Ow." he whined. "What kind of temple is this?"

"Look, Sakon, you're not going to be able to-"

"Third time's the charm." Sakon informed him, determined. "Sometimes spells only last for two tries then they fade."

The Postman sighed and stepped back as Sakon once agin grabbed a hold of the handles. At first nothing happened then there was a loud boom of energy and Sakon was thrown bodily away from the door. He hit the ground hard about ten feet back and twitched as the last bits of magic left him. The Postman knelt down next to him.

"Sakon?" He questioned. "Are you alright?"

Sakon let out a groan then his eyes snapped open. "OW!" he complained. "Holy OW! That one really hurt! It almost electrocuted me!"

"You're not going to be able to open the door." The Postman informed him.

Sakon gave another wince then looked up at him. "Why?"

"It says above the door. 'Enter those whom worship the Goddess Termina, ye pure and untouched virgins will fear nothing, one single drop of thy blood will open the way. The soiled and evil will feel Termina's wrath.'"

Both of Sakon's eyebrows shot up. "I'm soiled and evil?" he asked, sounding a bit hurt. "You could have warned me about the whole virgin thing, you know!"

"I tried. Sorry."

Sakon swore loudly and rubbed at the back of his head. "What a stupid curse! Why would they put such a horrible thing on a temple?"

"This temple belongs to the Goddess Termina." The Postman commented. "The virgin Goddess."

"Oh." Sakon said, looking rather revolted. "Who would want to remain a virgin for all eternity? No wonder she's such a harpy! I could have helped her out with her little problem if she had of just asked..."

The Postman's eyes widened and he gave Sakon a smack on the shoulder. "That's blasphemy, Sakon! Don't insult the Gods! Especially not in front of their temples!"

Sakon simply gave him a grin. "Worried they might thunderbolt us?"

"I'm surprised they haven't already."

Sakon gave a snort of amusement. "Soooo, what're we gonna do about the temple problem? I don't know about you but I'm kind of fresh out of virgins at the moment."

The Postman said nothing.

"We better not have to go back to Skyloft to kidnap a virg-" Sakon cut off abruptly as a thought occurred to him. He whirled to face The Postman in realization and pointed a finger to him triumphantly.

"You!" he cried out. "You're a virgin aren't you? I mean, you have to be! You're the biggest prude I know!"

"Uh..."

"You are, aren't you?" Sakon demanded.

"Um..."

"I knew it!" Sakon cried out gleefully. "You can open the door!"

"I don't think-"

"Go on!" Sakon ordered. "Try it! I bet it won't zap you! You're as 'untouched' as it can get!"

The Postman gave Sakon a downright dirty look and crossed his arms. "I'm pretty sure it was referring to maidens not postmen." he replied.

Sakon gave a shrug and drew his dagger. "Meh, you're close enough. Just hold out your hand and I'll nick you a little bit."

"No."

Sakon glanced to the door then back to The Postman and gave a shrug. "Well, if we're not delivering letters then we might as well go home."

The Postman furrowed his brow, knowing he had to get into the temple somehow. Letting out a heavy sigh, he held out his hand. "Fine."

Sakon took his hand and nicked the skin lightly on the index finger, watching as a small drop of blood appeared.

"Ok, now try it." Sakon said eagerly. "I want to see what happens."

The Postman glanced down at the blood and felt his stomach lurch at the sight. Blood normally didn't bother him but he was feeling nauseous anyway so it definitely didn't help. Now completely queasy, he turned his attention to the temple door. He had a pounding headache and would be glad to get out of the sunlight.

"Hurry up and use your super virgin powers!" Sakon said, grinning wide. "Blast open the doors with your 'pureness'!"

"Shut up." The Postman replied grouchily.

As The Postman approached the door, Sakon backed away a few steps, just in case it backfired, and watched with interest. The Postman stared at the intricately carved door for a long moment, not really wanting to be electrocuted, then hesitantly lifted his hand and placed it against the door. The blood barely even touched the wood when the door opened with a loud, ominous creak.

Sakon's mouth dropped open. "Wow! You really are a super virgin!" he exclaimed.

"If you call me that one more time, Sakon, I swear I'll push you off the island."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Sakon asked, not looking in the least bit sorry.

Sakon approached and hesitantly peered into the dark, and creepy temple. "How do you think Grovihim got in there? This door doesn't look like it's been used in a thousand years!"

"There's probably another way in somewhere else on the island." The Postman stated. "This temple's most likely just the entrance to his lair."

"Huh. You think it's alright for me to go in? Was the spell just on the door?"

"I wouldn't chance it if I were you."

Sakon frowned. "Er, yeah, maybe I'll just wait here then..."

The Postman looked down the long, shadowed hallway before him then turned his gaze to Sakon. "I'll need the letters."

As Sakon dug in his backpack for the letters, he gave another distrustful glare at the doorway. "What do you think would have happened if I had of put a drop of my blood on the door instead of you?"

The Postman raised an eyebrow. "I think you would have disintegrated on the spot."

Sakon gave a resigned nod. "Yeah, too much awesome will do that to a person. If you see any treasure in there, bring it back for me, okay?"

The Postman sighed as he took the letters.

"I'm not stealing from a temple." The Postman stated, taking a step through the doorway. "I'll be back in a little while."

Sakon held out his dagger. "Here, take this." he said. "Just in case."

"I don't kill."

"Just take it." Sakon ordered, shoving it into his hands.

The Postman looked down at the dagger then gave a nod. "I won't be long." he said, turning to leave.

As The Postman disappeared into the shadows, Sakon watched through the doorway with a frown. "Don't die." he whispered quietly.

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**Reviews make the author happy!**


	9. Dungeon Fever

**Authornote:**

**Sorry the last chapter kinda sucked guys. :( I'm actually reworking it right now so the revised version of chapter 8 should be up in a couple days. This chapter is much more serious since we've now entered the dungeon so hopefully I don't lose even more people because of this. If everyone hates this one, I'll revise it as well, but i thought the story could do with a more serious chapter. Let me know what you think because I take what my readers say very seriously and always do my best to please! :D****  
**

**Thank you to :  
**

**Nocturne of Eclipse **

**The Empty Lord **

**Reiz16 **

**you guys have been with me every step of the way and it has been very much appreciated!  
**

**Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out sometime next week after i gt the revised version of chapter 8 done.  
**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Dungeon Fever

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**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

The hallway was extremely dimly lit, the only light from the dusty stained glass windows high above. The dust burned his lungs and eyes as he went deeper and deeper into the temple and thick cobwebs covered everything. The Postman gently brushed aside any Skulltulas in his way, trying his best not to damage their webs or bother them in any way. The Skulltulas tolerated his presence as he wasn't brandishing a sword nor was he threatening them in any way; they barely even stirred from their sleep.

After a few minutes the hallway opened to a large chamber and The Postman's eyes immediately settled on the statue in the centre of the room. He couldn't tell what it was of and approached with interest, squinting in the semi-darkness. The Statue stood over a stone alter, its head bent, cobwebs hanging over both like a ghostly veil. Curious, he brushed aside a good amount of the cobwebs and stared up into the vengeful eyes of a statue of Termina. Her gaze was entirely on the alter like she staring down at something foul and The Postman wiped at the alter to get a better look. It was made entirely of black marble, intricately carved with large swirling handwriting all along the edges.

Leaning over the alter in an attempt to read it, he saw it was the same message from the temple doors, only repeated over and over again. He felt a warm wetness on his hand and glanced down then froze at what he saw. A large puddle of blood was surrounding his hand and seemed to be coming out of the stone itself, bubbling and beginning to drip down the sides of the alter. Ripping his hands away, The Postman backed away and felt his stomach lurch at the smell of the coppery blood and blinked hard, trying to push aside the nausea. When he opened his eyes, the blood was gone, no sign of it ever having been there.

The Postman glanced down at his hands, found them to be clean and once again looked into the face of Termina. He didn't find her expression to be as severe now and wondered if it was his imagination. Had the blood really been there or was it the poor light playing tricks on him?

Turning away, The Postman gazed around the room with a thoughtful look. The temple didn't look like it had been touched in thousands of years, the dust, cobwebs and deterioration proof of this. Ghirahim had obviously gotten in through another entrance as no one had been this way in a very long time. Running a hand along an old rotted pulpit, The Postman wondered how the temple had fallen into such disrepair. At one time, the temple had obviously been very grand and very beautiful but now everything was crumbling to dust and it looked more like a tomb than a place a worship.

As The Postman ran his hand across a long dried sacred fountain, he paused, feeling eyes on his back. Glancing over his shoulder, he now saw the statue was staring directly at him. Her face was turned towards him, the expressionless stone eyes boring into his own. His eyes widening, The Postman stared back at the statue but it didn't move, simply watching, simply waiting. The Postman gave a slight gulp and blinked hard, hoping he was just mistaken about what he was seeing. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, the statue was once again staring down at the alter like it had never moved.

The Postman raised a hand to his forehead wondering if Sakon was right and that he really was sick. He could feel the heat and his skin was sweaty and clammy so he knew he had a fever. Wondering if he'd hallucinated the whole thing, The Postman shook his head. He gave one more wary glance to the statue then decided he'd dawdled long enough and turned away. The statue didn't move again.

The Postman hurried to a door on the far end of the room that looked a lot newer compared to the rest of the temple, its metal gleaming in the dark. Placing a hand on the latch, he hesitantly gave it a pull and the door opened with a loud, groaning creak. The door swung open wide to reveal darkness.

There was nothing but black, the darkness swallowing any light to come near and The Postman stared a long moment. The darkness had the same heavy, evil feel to it as when he'd spoken to Ghirahim and The Postman knew this was the right direction.

Not having a torch to light his way, The Postman stepped into the darkness and was immediately swallowed by it. He was only one step in and he couldn't even see the doorway any longer. Listening intently for any sounds out of place, The Postman very slowly and carefully ventured into the darkness. Keeping one hand to the wall at all times, he felt his way along, trusting his sense of direction entirely. It had never run him astray before and he hoped there wasn't something horrible hiding in the darkness.

The cool, dark air felt good against his fevered skin but the way it pressed in on him made him feel a bit claustrophobic. Hearing the shuffling of skulltulas just ahead, The Postman felt out for their webs, not really wanting to get bitten for accidentally disturbing one. His fingers found the first web and he gently pulled it aside so he could step around it and by the sounds of it, the Skulltula didn't even notice. He continued in this fashion for a few minutes until he reached a fork in the tunnel. The Postman felt around both entrances but there was no indication of which was the right way.

Trusting his sense of direction, The Postman kept to the left and was sure it was the right way. He didn't encounter anything else as he felt his way along and several minutes later, he was quite surprised to be blinded by light. Rubbing at his eyes as they adjusted, he looked up saw he was in a beautiful garden, the plants bursting with life and colour. Looking up at the skylights above, The Postman saw he was in an enormous greenhouse and felt a bit disconcerted after being in darkness for so long. Trees and plants of every kind surrounded him and The Postman gazed all around in wonder.

Curious as to who tended such an extravagant garden, The Postman covered his eyes, the bright sunlight hurting his eyes. Every flower and piece of fruit were at their prime, despite most not even being in season yet and The Postman ventured into the garden, pushing his way past bushes and plants. The greenhouse was sweltering hot and The Postman was very tempted to take a short rest underneath one of the trees and deliberated. He stared at the shade longingly, his limbs feeling like lead and his head pounding but knew he couldn't. It would be unprofessional to stop before he'd completed his deliveries, especially when they were late as it was. Turning away from the tempting shade, he rubbed at his eyes a moment and ventured deeper into the garden.

He wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes, looking at the different flowers then paused when he heard the bushes beside him rustle. Glancing at said bush, it didn't move and he cocked his head. He approached it and there was immediately a frightened squeal, some thrashing and something small ran by him into another bush.

The Postman eyed the new rattling bush distrustfully and slowly snuck up to it. Before he reached it, there was another cry, some more thrashing and movement and all the bushes around him shook. The Postman hesitated.

"Er...hello?" he cautiously called out.

There was a bit more rattling and several pairs of eyes peered out at him fearfully from the leaves. The Postman stared back.

"Hello?" The Postman tried again.

"Go away!" came a young angry sounding voice. "Leave us alone!"

Recognizing the voice and also the eyes, The Postman knelt down. "Mido?" he questioned.

There was a slight hesitation then several Kokiri peered out of their hiding spots. Immediately recognizing The Postman, they burst out of the bushes and threw their arms around him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Postman!" one of them cried. "We thought no one would ever find us!"

"You found us! You found us!" Another cheered, pulling at his shirt in excitement.

Even Mido, the broody Kokiri seemed relieved and grateful.

"We were so scared!" one of the know-it-all brothers cried. "That horrible demon took us!"

"He was so mean!" one of the girls sniffed, latching on even tighter.

"We're so glad to see you!" another bawled into his side. "It's been so scary!"

"Uck." The Postman protested, positive he was going to be sick if he was squeezed any tighter. "Let go! Please let go! Let go now!"

Hearing the desperation in his voice, the Kokiri released him and stepped back as he closed his eyes and covered his mouth, trying to push aside his nausea.

"Um...you don't look too good." one of the Kokiri informed him.

Mido crinkled his nose. "He's gonna puke." he informed the others. "You are, aren't you?"

"I'm fine." The Postman responded. "Just a bit tired."

Saria, the only Kokiri to have been standing back, looked him up and down. "You're all sweaty and your skin's really white." she informed him. "You're sick."

"I'm fine." The Postman assured her.

Saria was frowning at him worriedly and when The Postman finally got his stomach under control, he remembered the letters. Holding Saria's out to her, he said.

"A letter for you, Miss Saria, sorry that it's late."

Not expecting a letter in the middle of her kidnapping, Saria reached up to take it purely by reflex, quite surprised. The Postman let out a breath of relief, now only having one letter to go.

"What's it say, Saria?" Mido demanded, trying to read over her shoulder.

"Yeah! What's it say? What's it say?" the other Kokiri began chorusing. "Read it!"

Unfolding the letter, Saria began reading.

"Dear Saria,

I'm on my way home from Clocktown today. Travelling has been good lately and the weather is perfect in Termina. I have a lot to tell you about my latest adventure and you're going to love hearing about this one! I still haven't been able to locate Epona but I recently found out who it was who took her. Hopefully I'll have her back by the end of the day. By the time you read this, I should already be on my way to tell you everything that's happened!

I'll see you soon

-Link"

Saria's bottom lip trembled slightly at Link's letter. "Does Link know we were kidnapped?" she asked. "Is he coming?"

The Postman nodded. "He's on his way."

Saria gave The Postman a grateful nod. "Thank you, Postman! Thank you for telling him!"

The Postman glanced down at his one remaining letter then gave a slight shift. "I really should be going, miss."

Saria gave a glance around the garden a bit nervously. "Yes, it's not safe for you to be here. You should leave before you're found. We'll be fine until Link gets here. He'll find a way to vanquish the demon and dispel the darkness that keeps us here. You should leave."

"I just have one more delivery to make." The Postman stated distractedly. "I have to find Mr. Ghirahim."

All of the Kokiri's eyes widened in horror.

"No! You can't!" Fado cried. "He'll kill you!"

Mido nodded his agreement. "And if he doesn't then the monster will!"

"Monster?" The Postman asked. "What monster?"

Saria hugged her arms to her chest and frowned, obviously very frightened. "The monster is the protector of the temple. It thinks we're sacrifices to its goddess and is keeping us here until Termina says otherwise. Ghirahim allows it since he doesn't have to actually watch us himself that way."

The Postman frowned but didn't really see how this concerned him.

"If you don't leave, the monster might think you're trying to take us away and kill you." Saria informed him. "Please, just leave."

The Postman shook his head. "I cannot."

Saria glanced over her shoulder then back to him, still nervous. "The monster is sleeping right now but it could wake at any time. If you leave now, it'll never know you were here."

Again, The Postman shook his head. "Once I've delivered the letter, then I'll leave."

Other than Link, The Postman was their only frequent visitor to the Kokiri Village and they loved his tales of the outside world and his rushed, impatient attitude so unlike their ways. As he turned to leave, he was bombarded by several Kokiri from behind.

"No!" they cried, pulling him back.

There was a loud, grunting snore from somewhere in the garden and every Kokiri instantly slapped their hands over their mouths. They waited in silence a moment and when nothing happened, they relaxed.

"You can't!" Saria whispered. "You'll die, Postman! You've given us Kokiri hope that Link will come but you must save yourself! Please leave! I don't want you to die!"

The Postman could sense where Ghirahim was and stared off through the garden and gave his head a shake. "Sorry." he apologized distractedly, pushing his way through the bushes. "It's my job."

Instantly, every Kokiri grabbed a hold of one of his limbs pulling him back and The Postman stumbled, nearly losing his balance. The Kokiri held him tight and no matter how hard he struggled they didn't loosen their hold. After fighting against them for a moment or two and not gaining any ground, The Postman got annoyed.

"Let me go!" he ordered.

"We won't let you!" a Kokiri yelled out. "If you die, who'll bring us candy and tell us stories?"

"I have a job to do! Let me go!" The Postman said, struggling harder. "You're disrupting my delivery!"

"No!" came the unanimous response.

The Postman's voice took on the irritated tone he usually only reserved for his younger brothers and sisters when they were being especially bratty. "Let. Go. Now." he ordered. "Right now!"

At the reprimanding tone, the Kokiri all grudgingly released him and The Postman gave them a scolding look.

"I'm late as it is! Please do not interfere!"

"We were only worried about you..." Saria said, looking down at the ground.

Giving them one more 'look' The Postman turned and pushed his way through the bushes away from the Kokiri and towards his next delivery. He could hear the Kokiri's frightened whispers behind him but his attention was already entirely on his job. After a few minutes, he made it to the edge of the garden and saw a single door against the wall. He was positive Ghirahim was within and glanced down at the letter, glad when this would be all over.

Reaching for the handle, he paused and instead gave a loud knock, deciding it would be more polite than simply barging in. He heard the knock echo within and there was a long hesitation then came a confused.

"Come in?"

The Postman pushed open the door and peered in, Ghirahim was sprawled in an ornate throne, staring at him through narrowed eyes, The Postman obviously not who he expected. Ghirahim blew a strand of his white hair out of eyes and slowly sat up.

"You."

The Postman took a step forward. "I have a letter for you, sir."

With a snap of his fingers, a half dozen blades appeared spinning around Ghirahim. "Why if it isn't my little stalker." he stated "What part of 'stop following me' didn't you understand?"

Ignoring that last statement, The Postman held up the letter. "Your letter, sir."

Draping a leg over the arm of his throne dramatically, Ghirahim gave a flick of his wrist sending one of the daggers shooting at The Postman. The Postman jumped out of the way and Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. Giving his wrist another flick, he shot two daggers both of which The Postman also dodged, now eying the villain warily. Resting his chin in his hand thoughtfully, Ghirahim summoned three more daggers bringing the total back up to six and flicked his wrist, sending all at The Postman from every directions.

Moving as fast as he could, The Postman dodged and jumped, red streaks all around him as the daggers shot in all directions. He was feeling sluggish in his fever but he still managed to avoid the daggers and Ghirahim gave him a genuinely thoughtful look.

"Who are you?" he asked after a moment.

"I am the postman, sir."

Ghirahim scowled, this not being the answer he wanted. "You're no postman." he replied decisively. "You wouldn't have been able to get this far, now tell me who you are!"

Again, The Postman held up the letter. "I'm a postman, sir and I've come to deliver your mail. Please accept your letter."

Ghirahim draped his other leg over the arm of the throne seemingly posing and didn't answer. His violet eyes raked over The Postman thoughtfully, trying to come to a conclusion about him. He didn't look like a hero, nor did he act like a regular dull-witted citizen; he was an unusual creature. Ghirahim observed the white postal uniform and the letter which seemed to back up the story but it still seemed too ludicrous to him. It had to be some sort of trick. His eyes settled on the dagger in The Postman's hands and his eyes narrowed to slits.

"Going to kill me, little stalker?" he demanded.

The Postman glanced down at the dagger having completely forgotten about it and hurriedly shook his head. "No, sir, of course not. I don't kill. I'm just here to deliver your letter."

"Then why have the dagger if you're not going to use it?" Ghirahim asked, sure he'd caught The Postman in a lie.

"It belongs to a friend." The Postman explained. "He wanted me to have it."

Ghirahim slowly swung himself the right way around on the throne. "If you did try to kill me, you'd never be able to lay a finger on me." he stated. "You'd be dead before you'd even raised it."

"I imagine so, sir." The Postman agreed.

Ghirahim stared at The Postman a long moment then got to his feet, stretching much like a lazy cat after a nap. "I warned you I may not be merciful the next time we met, doesn't this worry you, little stalker?" he asked.

"My only concern is my job, sir. Would you please take your letter?"

"Don't you know who I am?" Ghirahim demanded.

The Postman nodded. "Your name is Ghirahim, sir."

"Do you know exactly who I am and what I've done to be so feared?" Ghirahim asked, genuinely curious.

The Postman hesitated then shook his head.

Ghirahim's lips curled up in amusement. "Interesting." he stated.

Ghirahim slowly began sauntering towards him like a tiger stalking its prey, his eyes still studying the smaller man in front of him in curiosity. "Do you think yourself a hero?" he questioned.

The Postman shook his head.

With a snap of his fingers, Ghirahim disappeared and then reappeared a moment later directly behind The Postman. He draped his arms over The Postman's shoulders casually and leaned in close to his ear. "Why have you followed after me so passionately?" he asked huskily. "Perhaps you've fallen in love with me? The moment you first laid eyes on my fabulousness, you've had to follow me? Is this the case, little stalker?"

Watching Ghirahim out of the corner of his eye, The Postman shook his head. "No, sir."

Ghirahim leaned around a bit so he was directly in The Postman's field of vision. "Just 'no'?" he questioned, smirking. "You're very determined for someone who's not a hero and who doesn't love me."

"Sorry, sir, please just accept you letter."

Inspecting him from up close, Ghirahim flicked The Postman's hat off with his forefinger and ran a finger through The Postman's short brown hair ignoring the glare he received.

The Postman glanced down at his fallen hat. "Please don't touch postal property." he scolded. "You may only touch your mail."

Ignoring him, Ghirahim gave him another look-over. "You're very plain." he stated. "At least the hero is pretty to look at."

Feeling much too hot with Ghirahim that close to him, The Postman attempted to pull away and again held up the letter. "Your letter, sir. Take your letter."

Ghirahim let out a laugh, enjoying toying with him. "How easily I could kill you." he stated "Does it bother you that I took the Kokiri? That I'm a villain?"

The Postman gave another uncomfortable squirm. "It's none of my business, sir, I'm just a postman."

"Really." Ghirahim said, running a perfectly manicured nail along The Postman's throat. "And why is that?"

Ghirahim obviously had no concept of personal space or he simply didn't care as he placed his arms back around The Postman, enjoying the other man's discomfort. Ghirahim was really making him feel too hot and The Postman was beginning to feel nauseous again.

The Postman closed his eyes, trying to push aside his queasiness. "I'm a postman, sir, I don't judge my customers."

Ghirahim set his chin on top of The Postman's head. "Even if your customer's are up to something really, really despicable?" he asked.

The Postman gave a nod, not trusting himself to answer at the moment.

Ghirahim wasn't sure what to make of The Postman. He'd never met such a strange individual before and wasn't sure whether to kill him or toy with him a bit longer. He was terribly bored and it would be a few days yet until his garden would be ready for his plan. The Postman squirmed in his hold and he looked down at him.

"Please let me go, sir." The Postman requested, squirming uselessly.

Ghirahim gave him a downright sinister grin "You fail to understand your position here, little stalker. I can do what I want with you and you can do nothing to stop me!"

"No, sir, you have to let me go!" The Postman said, his stomach turning. "I'm not feeling too well..."

Ghirahim tightened his hold painfully. "You don't order me to do anything!" he hissed.

The Postman struggled even harder. "You don't understand! You have to let me go! Please, sir!"

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "I won't."

"No, sir, you don't understand! I'm going to be s-"

Ghirahim froze as The Postman all of a sudden lurched, made a gagging sound and then proceeded to throw up down the front of the demon's shirt. Completely comatose for a very long moment, Ghirahim's eyes were as wide as saucers not knowing how to react. Completely stiff, he released The Postman and very, very slowly looked down at himself. His expression turned even more horrified and his mouth opened and closed several times without sound before he let out one loud shriek, snapped his fingers and disappeared from the room in a shower of sparkles.

The Postman gave one last gag then slowly straightened up, mortified and still feeling nauseous. He really wished Ghirahim had listened to him and couldn't believe that had just happened. Slowly kneeling down to pick up the fallen letter, The Postman gazed around the empty room, noticing how everything was spinning. Putting a hand to his head, he slowly made his way to the door, wondering when Ghirahim would return. He pulled open the door with more difficulty than he would have expected, his limbs not wanting to cooperate and was met with the sight of the Kokiri waiting for him.

Saria stepped forward worriedly and looked him up and down. "What happened?" she asked. "What was that yell?"

The Postman wavered on his feet for a moment, his vision starting to darken.

"I threw up on Ghirahim." The Postman replied, and then promptly fainted.

He was unconscious when a large shadow fell over him, the temple's monster staring down at him curiously. "What have we here?" it mused to itself.

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**Don't worry, guys, that wasn't Ghirahim's defeat! He'll be back once he burns his cloths and thoroughly disinfects his entire body.**

**Reviews make the author happy**


	10. Dazed and Confused

**Authornote:  
**

**Wow, this chapter took forever for me to finish! Work has been so busy that I barely had time to even touch a pen! Hopefully it slows down next week so I can can sneak in a bit of extra writing. **

**So the story is almost over, there's only a couple chapters left to go! I'm going to try to get out the next chapter early next week if I can. **

**A big thank you to my reviewers:  
**

**Illusionary Path**

**ChocolateMilkLOL**

**Reiz16**

**The Empty Lord**

**Nocturne of Eclipse**

**Light-Sakura**

**Aliy**

**You guys are all great, and help keep me going! Thank you so much! :3  
**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Dazed and Confused

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The Postman drifted in and out of consciousness, his head pounding and the darkness of sleep feeling good. During one bout of semi-consciousness, he heard a lot of yelling, some horrible sounding snarling then he fell back asleep, too tired to make sense of it. The second time he woke, he saw glimpses of scales and multitudes of red eyes and blinked heavily. Something was then pressed to his lips and he drank quite by reflex, wincing at the horrible taste. Allowing his head to fall back against the scales limply, he drifted into sleep as, whatever it was, coiled around his body protectively. The third time he woke, he was a bit more alert and could make out the colours of the garden around him and winced at the brightness. Blinking heavily, he looked up and was met with the sight of a mass of scales. His head pounding, The Postman looked the creature up and down, noticing he was wrapped deeply within its coils.

He couldn't see much of the monster from his current position but had a feeling he was being saved for a meal. Squirming, he managed to get both of his arms free and gave another wary glance to the monster, hoping it was a deep sleeper. It continued snoring deeply and The Postman relaxed, feeling a bit better with no immediate danger present.

His head was really throbbing now and he gave a glance up towards the skylight wondering how long he'd been asleep. The light burned his much too sensitive eyes and averted his gaze with a wince, still not knowing what time it was. Rubbing at his eyes a moment, The Postman shifted a bit, still not feeling well but alert enough to know staying where he was, wasn't the best of ideas.

The Postman began wriggling and squirming his way of out of the coils, glad the monster seemed to be a heavy sleeper. When he was almost all the way out, he realized one of his legs was stuck. Giving it a hard tug, it pulled free quite suddenly and he toppled over the side of the monster in a tangle of limbs, his face about to hit the ground hard. He was quite startled when a snake-like tentacle caught him around the middle, stopping his fall and pulled him back up into the safety of the coils. Looking up, The Postman was met with the sight of a very familiar monster.

Twelve eyes focussed on him, six on each enormous head, its large spindly, spider-like legs unfurling from underneath it, several tentacles resting nearby. The Postman's eyes widened as he remembered what this monster had threatened the last time he'd seen it.

"You're from the Goron tunnels!" he rasped out, his throat feeling dry and scratchy. "How did you get all the way up here? I didn't go back into the tunnels, I kept my promise! It wasn't me who woke you up! Don't eat me!" The Postman knew he was ranting, but was too panicked to care.

The monster seemed to frown down at him a long moment then it reached forward and laid a tentacle against his forehead.

"You still have a fever." it stated, its voice deep and gravelly. "You're delirious and need to rest."

The Postman was indeed still sick and it took him a moment to process what the monster had said. Somewhere in his fevered mind, he registered that this monster was male and couldn't be the same monster he'd met before. He squirmed away from the tentacle, backed up a few steps and the monster was quick to catch him again as he lost his balance. Forcing him to lay down, the monster gave him reprimanding look.

"You need to rest." it scolded. "That's why you fell so ill in the first place; you didn't rest your fever. Now behave yourself and stay put."

Unable to move while pinned down the way he was, The Postman stared up at the monster, not exactly sure what was happening at the moment. Did he just get scolded like a toddler? What was the monster planning to do with him and why was he still alive?

One of the monster's other tentacles brought a chipped stone bowl from somewhere within its coils and offered it to him.

"Drink." it ordered. "It will help with the fever."

"What is it?" The Postman asked, eyeing the thick green liquid somewhat suspiciously.

"You probably don't want to know." the monster replied. "Drink it."

The Postman gave another uncertain look into the bowl, knowing it wasn't a very good idea to accept strange drinks from monsters. He vaguely remembered drinking some of it earlier however, and he wasn't dead or in horrible agony so he very hesitantly accepted the bowl.

"Drink." the monster ordered, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

His arms felt strangely weak and with a bit of difficulty, The Postman carefully raised the bowl to his lips and took a sip. Instantly gaging at the horrible taste, he nearly dropped the bowl. The monster was quick to steady his hold and watched as he coughed and sputtered at the taste and then said.

"Drink all of it." he ordered. "Your fever is still high."

Much against The Postman's will, the entire bowl of mystery liquid was practically dumped down his throat and he gave another gag. His entire mouth was now filled with the terrible taste and he couldn't help but make a face. When the monster was sure he'd swallowed every drop, it adjusted him into a more comfortable position within the coils.

"Now rest," it ordered. "Let the medicine do its work. It'll help you sleep."

The Postman was almost positive he'd just drunken a bowl full of mucus and visibly shuddered. His limbs were feeling heavy and awkward and every second he grew wearier and wearier. Wondering what he'd just willingly swallowed, The Postman hoped it wasn't going to do horrible things to him. His eyes were heavier by the second, the medicine already taking effect and the pull of sleep seemed more and more alluring. As his eyes slipped closed, he wondered what the monster had planned for him.

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Sakon had waited all day outside the temple but The Postman didn't return. Knowing the temple could be enormous on the inside, Sakon wasn't too worried and set up camp, sure The Postman would be back by morning. Morning came and went and Sakon began getting an uneasy feeling. Not sure what could have delayed him, he waited outside the temple doors until dark. Unable to sleep that night, Sakon stared towards the temple, simply waiting. When dawn came, his unease increased ten-fold and Sakon wasn't sure what he should do. The temple couldn't possibly be that enormous, could it?

Sakon approached the temple doors and peered uncertainly into the darkness. He didn't really fancy the idea of venturing into the dark and creepy temple, especially not with that warning above the door. Sakon, by nature, was very cautious about his own well-being and he had a feeling there was something terrible waiting for him in there. Biting his lip uncertainly, he took one hesitant step closer to the doorway, his eyes focussed entirely on the darkness. He nearly jumped through his skin when a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.

Spinning around, Sakon came face to face with Link, who did not look very happy at the moment. Sakon's eyes widened at the sight of the furious hero and suddenly the temple didn't seem quite as frightening. Sakon gave a slight gulp of apprehension as Link narrowed his eyes.

"Uh...hi?" Sakon said, trying unsuccessfully to pull away.

Link looked him up and down as if studying him a moment then frowned. "What are you up to?" he demanded. "What is your part in all of this?"

Sakon gave another tug to his arm. "What are you talking about? A part in what?"

"I already know you're involved." Link informed him cooly. "I've been to Skyloft and heard allll about it."

Sakon gave a wince. "Oh...so you've been to Skyloft..."

Link gave a nod.

"Um, look, if any of those girls were yours, I swear I didn't-"

"Sakon." Link interrupted. "I don't have time for you to skirt around the issue. I know about the mask and the thefts and I want to know what you're up to."

"What mask?" Sakon asked innocently. "And I never heard about any thefts but I do feel for them. Who would do such a horrible thing to such nice people? Absolutely terrible!"

Link sighed and tightened his hold painfully, causing Sakon to squeal. "I'm really not in the mood, Sakon. Spill it."

Link looked exhausted and stressed, his blond hair mussed and clothes rumpled. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and Sakon really didn't like the impatience he saw swimming in the hero's blue eyes. Impatient, grouchy heroes usually meant pain. Gulping, the thief shook his head.

"But I don't know anything!" Sakon insisted. "I may have fooled around with a few girls but that's all, I swear!"

Link's blue eyes pierced into the thief's and Sakon shifted slightly, quickly growing uncomfortable. He knew the hero was much, much stronger than him and it would be nothing at all for him to pummel him into the ground. When Sakon said nothing more, Link once again tightened his hold, causing a startled yelp.

"Ow!" Sakon complained loudly and indignantly. "Why do you keep doing that? You used to be such a nice kid! What happened to you? How'd you become such a bully?"

Link knew he was not the bad guy in this situation and felt his frustration grow. "My friends were just kidnapped, Sakon." he snapped angrily. "My old headmaster is missing, I have to track down Ghirahim and fight him and the entire world is turning to dust. I think I have a reason to be angry."

Sakon simply stared at him in disbelief. "Turning to dust? What do you mean 'turning to dust'?"

Link gave him an impatient look, almost certain the thief was still just playing innocent. "You didn't notice the draught or famine?" he demanded.

Sakon pondered a moment. "Yeah, I guess everything was looking a bit dry when I left..."

His eyes widened as he realized what Link thought. "But I swear I didn't have anything to do with it!"

Link narrowed his eyes, not trusting a word that came out of the thief's mouth.

"I'm telling the truth!" Sakon insisted. "I really am!"

Link still wasn't satisfied but decided to let it go for now. "Fine, but what are you involved it?" he demanded. "Tell me about the mask you gave to Gaepora."

"I didn't give him the mask." Sakon replied a bit smugly.

Link was starting to feel incredibly impatient and shifted slightly, trying to keep his temper. He did not like Sakon, the thief always proving to be a pain in the ass, and took a deep, forced breath. "Why did The Postman give him the mask?" he demanded.

Sakon looked away snootily. "He does have a name, you know."

"Sakon, I don't have time for this! The entire world is depending on me. Tell me why he gave Gaepora the mask!"

Sakon gave a nonchalant shrug. "Dunno. He's not exactly the brightest star in the sky if you know what I mean."

"Sakon..."

'I think I remember him saying something about it being a love-token for the love of his life. Don't you think him and Gaepora just make the cutest couple?"

Sakon was grinning at him impishly and Link let out a heavy sigh. Realizing the thief was not going to willingly cooperate, Link gave the other man's shoulder a sharp twist. Sakon let out a shrill yell of agony at the sudden unexpected pain and fought to get away with renewed vigour.

"You broke my arm again!" he bellowed out, pain written across his face. "You broke it, you broke it!"

"It's not broken, just dislocated." Link informed him, only feeling a bit guilty. "I'll fix it if you tell me what you know."

"What's the matter with you? What kind of hero are you?" Sakon demanded. "Heros are not supposed to go around breaking people's arms!"

Link gave Sakon a very meaningful look then pressed his fingertips ever so slightly into the shoulder and Sakon immediately squealed.

"Okay! Okay! Fine!" he cried out. "Just let me go!"

Link had learned long ago not to trust Sakon so he didn't release him but did loosen his hold considerably. "Talk." he ordered.

Sakon gave him a glare. "Bully." he muttered then said nothing more.

"Sakon..." Link began, starting to get genuinely mad.

"Fine. He delivered the mask because he was asked to." Sakon answered sullenly. "I told him not to but he didn't listen to me."

"I'm so sure you tried your hardest." Link stated dryly.

"I did!" Sakon insisted. "He's so bloody stubborn when it comes to his mail! He won't listen to anybody!"

"And what happened to Gaepora?"

"He turned into a canary or something." Sakon answered without interest.

"A canary?" Link asked in disbelief. "What happened to him? Where did he go?"

"What do you think? He flew away."

Link stared towards the sky, his heart growing heavy, knowing it would be next to impossible to find Gaepora. How would he find one little canary in an entire world of open sky? Taking a deep breath, he turned his eyes back to Sakon, determined to save who he could.

"And what is The Postman's purpose here at the temple?"

"He's in there delivering your paedophilic letter to that little girl."

Link had to resist the urge to hit the thief and instead asked. "My letter to Saria? He came all the way here just to deliver that?"

"I told you, he's not too bright." Sakon replied. "He was also delivering a letter to Gerald or whatever his name is."

Link blinked in confusion before he got it. "Ghirahim? He's delivering a letter to Ghirahim?"

Sakon rolled his eyes. "I believe I just said that."

"So Ghirahim really is here? I finally found him?" Link asked in relief.

"Obviously." Sakon answered irritably, still sure his arm was broken.

Link furrowed his brow, knowing Ghirahim wouldn't hesitate to kill a civilian if he felt they were in his way. Worried about The Postman, Link hoped he was alright. The Postman never seemed to care how dangerous a situation was and had an annoying habit of getting himself mixed up into Link's quests.

"How long has he been in there?" Link asked, wondering how much of ahead start The Postman had on him.

"Over two days." Sakon answered uneasily.

Link frowned knowing something must have happened. "Who was the letter from?" he asked.

Instantly changing moods, Sakon gave him a downright evil looking grin. "Oh, you're going to love this!" he commented. "It's from Ganondorf."

Link stared into the temple uncertainly. If Ganondorf was involved, that did not bode well. Were Ganondorf and Ghirahim working together? Sincerely hoping not, Link glanced over at Sakon's Loftwing, noticing it for the first time.

"Where did you get the Loftwing?" he asked suspiciously. He didn't remember anyone in Skyloft having a pink Loftwing but it was obviously stolen from somewhere.

Sakon gave an evasive shrug. "Found it."

Link gave him a disapproving frown. "Found it where?" he demanded, hoping there wasn't some little girl crying over her lost Loftwing.

"Malo Mart." Sakon replied cheekily. "I got a great price on it. Loftwings are two for a blue right now."

Link sighed heavily then gently placed a hand on the back of Sakon's neck, the threat clear. Sakon froze then looked up at Link with wide eyes, knowing it best not to push it in this situation.

"Ganondorf." he quickly answered.

"You're working for Ganondorf?" Link demanded, grip tightening ever so slightly.

"Naw, I stole it from him." Sakon answered.

Link gave another glance at the pink Loftwing. "Ganondorf's?" he asked skeptically. "Ganondorf has a pink Loftwing?"

"Well, not anymore." Sakon answered proudly.

Deciding he didn't especially care what Sakon had stolen, Link looked back into the temple. "And why were you going into the temple?" he asked. "Looting as usual?"

"Yes, but that's not the only reason. I figured I'd better go check on dumbass since he's been in there so long, just to make sure he didn't fall into a pit or something."

Link gave the thief a really long, scrutinizing look. "Why would you care?" he asked. "No honour amongst thieves, right?"

"He's not a thief." Sakon answered simply. "He's my friend and I don't exactly have excess amounts of them."

Link gave a grudging nod, then without warning, snapped Sakon's shoulder back into place. Sakon let out a bloodcurdling howl, then gave the hero a look of death.

"You could have warned me first!" he yelled. "By the goddessess!"

"Would that have made it any better?" Link asked, raising a brow.

Sakon scowled. "No, I suppose it wouldn't have."

"You're coming with me." Link informed him. "I don't trust you and there's still a few things we need to discuss."

Sakon was rubbing at his shoulder sourly and didn't protest, knowing he didn't have a say in the matter anyway. Link couldn't watch him forever and the moment his back was turned, he'd slip away.

"Um, before you go in, there's something you should know about the temple..." Sakon said, his eyes focussed on the warning above the door.

"Link gave him an impatient look. "Spill it, Sakon, I don't have the time."

Sakon smiled at him sweetly. "Oh, nothing too important. It's just very dark in there so you'll need a torch."

Link knew the thief was up to something, as subtlety wasn't Sakon's forte, but wasn't sure what the thief was planning. He watched as Sakon pulled a torch out of his backpack, lit it then hand it over to him, innocent smile still in place.

"Heroes before beauty." he said, gesturing for Link to take the lead.

Link snatched the torch away and turned towards the temple's open doorway. Sakon watched eagerly as the hero stepped through the threshold then frowned when nothing happened. Deflating slightly in disappointment, Sakon crossed his arms.

"Dang." he said with a sigh.

Link gave him a questioning look then motioned for him to follow impatiently. Still visibly sulking, Sakon followed him into the temple.

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It was the sound of laughter that woke him. Blinking heavily against the bright sunlight, The Postman glanced around himself, feeling disorientated and not remembering much at all. He was laying on a thick bed of leaves in a small clearing and he slowly sat up, feeling a lot better than before. Giving a long, lazy stretch, he wondered where the monster had gone and whether his memories of it were real. He could hear occasional childish laughter somewhere off in the distance and gave another stretch.

Looking down at himself, The Postman noticed his shirt was inside-out for unknown reasons and his hat and sandals were missing. The letter was nowhere in sight as well and that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had yet to deliver it and hoped it hadn't gotten damaged any further. Slowly getting to his feet, The Postman began following the sounds of the laughter, sure it would lead him to the Kokiri.

The garden was lot bigger than before and much wilder, more like a jungle than the pretty garden it had been. The plants and trees were overgrown and close together and The Postman had a hard time pushing his way through it. As he got closer to the laughter, the sound of a waterfall also came within earshot. Confused, he pushed through the rest of the way and found himself at a riverbank, a large waterfall churning and roaring at it's base. The Postman was certain that hadn't been there before and noticed the waterfall seemed to begin from nowhere, water simply appearing in the air above. The river curved around the jungle and never overflowed or seemed to get any bigger.

The Kokiri were playing in the water, laughing and shrieking as they played and The Postman approached, hoping they could tell him what was going on. It was Saria who saw him first and she gave him a relieved smile and waved.

"Postman!" she called out in greeting.

All the other Kokiri looked in his direction then grinned, waving at him wildly. The Kokiri seemed completely at ease, no sign of their former fear and The Postman furrowed his brow. What had happened while he was sick?

A few of the Kokiri scrambled out of the water and threw their arms around him in a hug and The Postman instinctively flinched as cold water seeped through his shirt.

"You're all better!" one of them cried.

"We thought you were going to die!" another one exclaimed, eyes wide.

The Postman gave another glance around the transformed garden. "What happened?" he asked.

Saria pulled herself out of the water. "You were very sick." she informed him. "You wouldn't wake up."

The Postman had known he'd been sick; it was what happened during that time that he was a little fuzzy on. Scratching the back of his head a bit uncertainly, he took a seat at the river's edge. "Um, the monster...?" he began, not exactly sure what to ask.

Saria wiped a bit of water out of her eyes and gave him a knowing nod. "He took care of you." she said.

The Postman felt a bit confounded. He had very vague memories of many red eyes, pointy teeth and horrible medicine but that was about it. "But why?" he asked.

Mido swam over and rested his elbows on the riverbank. "It's cause he said you're like us." he stated. "He said you're a verna- , a virj-, a vegan or something or something like that."

Saria nodded her agreement. "He says we all belong to Termina and are under his protection."

Dangling his legs into the cold water, The Postman couldn't help but give a scowl. How was it the entire world seemed to know he was a virgin? Was it written on his forehead or something? Glancing into the water just to be sure, The Postman froze at the sight of his reflection. Leaning over to get a better look, he raised a hand to his face in complete disbelief. It didn't seem to be a trick of the water and he could only stare in complete shock. He looked younger, not terribly so, perhaps five years at the most but it was still a noticeable change. He wasn't sure how long he stared down at his reflection in shock but he was brought back to realty when Mido gave him a splash in the face.

"You okay?" he asked, giving him an uncertain look.

"What happened?" The Postman asked, not even caring that he was now soaked.

"What do you mean?" Saria asked in confusion.

"What happened to me?" The Postman asked. "How did I get like this?"

The Kokiri clearly had no idea what he was talking about so The Postman pointed directly at himself. "Why am I younger?"

Several of the Kokiri squinted at him a moment but obviously didn't see much of a difference and gave a shrug. Kokiri were eternal so they'd never really gotten a very good grasp on time or aging.

"What caused this?" The Postman demanded, "How did it happen?"

Again, the Kokiri shrugged.

Sighing deeply, The Postman knew the Kokiri weren't going to be the ones to help him with this.

"What happened while I was sick?" he asked, deciding to take a different approach.

"The monster was taking care of you and Ghirahim showed up and demanded you be given to him!" one of the Kokiri cried, excitedly. "The monster wouldn't give you to him and Ghirahim was real mad!"

The Postman frowned. "But I thought the monster was working for Ghirahim?"

All the Kokiri shook their heads. "We thought he was bad too but you should have seen the way he fought against Ghirahim! It was amazing! He wouldn't let him near you!"

"We were afraid of him at first but he's really nice...well to vegans anyway." a Kokiri informed him.

"What happened in the fight?" The Postman asked, wondering how he'd managed to sleep through it all.

"Ghirahim had these two really long swords and the monster had its claws out and was spitting poison everywhere! Ghirahim managed to cut the monster but the monster tore Ghirahim's cape right off in return and spat poison in his face. The cape was in shreds and Ghirahim got really mad, said you weren't worth the trouble and left. He was really steaming."

The Postman pondered hard a moment and thought he vaguely remembered glimpses of a loud, vicious fight but couldn't be certain.

"The monster has been keeping a really close eye on you since." Saria informed him.

The Postman looked one way then the other. "And where is it now?" he asked.

Every Kokiri shrugged so The Postman looked down at his reflection again thoughtfully, still in disbelief over the whole thing and wondering if anyone would even notice the changes in him.

"Where did this river come from?" he asked. "And the garden for that matter?"

Saria gave a giggle, obviously thinking the question silly and smiled. "We made them of course!" she told him. "The garden was very tiny when we were brought here but we've made it grow. Ghirahim told us to."

"Why?" The Postman questioned. "Why a garden?"

Saria paused, growing thoughtful. "I don't know." she answered honestly. "When we were kidnapped, Ghirahim brought us here to this temple and told us to make the biggest garden we could. He said our powers are a lot stronger here because of Termina's protection. As long as we keep things growing, he leaves us alone."

"Is that why the garden is now so wild?"

Saria gave a nod. "Once we started growing the garden, we couldn't control it. There's a power here using us."

"Ghirahim's power or the temple's?"

"I don't know."

"Then what-"

The Postman cut off as a loud thrashing and snapping of trees came from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a large section of the trees were bending as something enormous pushed its way through. The Kokiri didn't seem concerned and when the monster burst into the clearing, claws extended and both heads baring fangs, they waved at it.

The monster's black scales gleamed in the sunlight, its bottom half a mass of tentacles and spidery legs and its many red eyes were wide and panicked. It looked almost identical to the monster he'd met in the Goron tunnels although much bigger and obviously male.

The monster's twelve eyes looked frantically all around and when they settled on The Postman seated at the river's edge, the monster seemed visibly relieved. It then gave him a frown of disapproval and reached out one of its tentacles, grabbing him around the middle and pulling him away from the water. It set him down directly in front of it and gave him another frown.

"Stay out of the water." the monster scolded. "You'll get sick again."

The Postman wasn't sure what to say to that and couldn't help but flinch away as the monster placed a tentacle on his forehead. The monster seemed satisfied and nodded both of its heads. "Good, your fever is gone." it informed him. "How are you feeling?"

The Postman couldn't help but feel awkward, knowing how the monster had taken care of him. "Er...I'm fine, thank you."

The monster gave another nod. "You should not be up and about this soon, little virgin, you need your rest."

The Postman gave the monster a frown. "Please don't call me that."

This seemed to perplex the monster so it changed the subject and held out a very strange looking mushroom to him. "Here, eat this." it ordered.

The Postman stared at the glowing purple and orange spotted mushroom then shook his head. "Um, no thank you..."

"You haven't eaten since you fell ill." the monster said still holding out the mushroom. "You must be hungry."

The Postman was starving in fact but there was no way he was accepting a weird mushroom from a monster. "How long was I sick?" he asked.

The monster pondered a moment. "I do not measure time the same way mortals do but the sun has risen and set two times since you fell ill."

The Postman' eyes widened. "Two days? I was asleep for two whole days?"

"That is what I said."

The Postman's shoulders slumped miserably. Now his letter was really late. This making him remember the missing letter, The Postman asked. "Um...sir? Do you have my belongings?"

"I do." the monster confirmed. "I'll give them back when I'm certain you're not going to attempt escape. You belong to Termina and must remain here."

The Postman wasn't very happy over that but knew there was little he could do about it. The monster could easily flatten him any time it wanted so it would be suicide to anger it.

The Postman rubbed the back of his neck a moment. "Er, thank you for helping me when I was sick. I really appreciate it, sir."

The monster stared down at him a moment. "It is my purpose." it informed him. "I was placed here to guard Termina's property."

The Postman didn't especially appreciate being referred to as property but didn't comment on it. Instead, he asked a question which he really hoped the monster could answer.

"What happened to me while I was sick? Why am I younger?"

"This garden is not meant for mortals." The monster informed him. "It is Termina's sacred retreat. Her magic fills the entire area and mortal bodies cannot handle it. The magic has been eating away at your years for the past two days and that's the reason why you're now younger."

The Postman was horrified. "Am I still getting younger?" he demanded.

"Without eating the food grown in this garden, your body will continue losing years until you cease to exist. The magic of the food will keep you safe and healthy as long as you're here."

Suddenly the mushroom didn't seem quite so bad. The Postman really had no desire to live a second childhood and hesitated as he stared at the offered mushroom. Seeing his somewhat flabbergasted and horrified expression, the monster chuckled.

"You don't have to eat the mushroom if you don't want to." it informed him. "There are other things that grow in the garden that you can eat."

The Postman felt relieved.

"Come." the monster invited. "Let's get you fed."

The Postman mutely nodded, glad he hadn't had a prolonged illness...that would have been bad. The monster turned to the Kokiri, who were all unabashedly eavesdropping, and motioned with a claw.

"Come along, children. It's time for you to be fed."

Feeling somewhat dazed, The Postman followed the monster and Kokiri into the jungle without a word.

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**Reviews make the Author happy!  
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	11. Termina's Wrath

**Authornote:  
**

**Hello, everybody! I got extra writing done while at work, so here's the next chapter. Hopefully it will continue being slow at work so I can get the next one up by the weekend! There's only one chapter left, so stay buckled in!  
**

**A huge thank you to my reviewers:  
**

**ChocolateMilkLOL**

**The Empty Lord**

**Reiz16 **

**Light-Sakura**

**Nocturne of Eclipse**

**You guys are great and always have such nice things to say! Also, just a question: Anyone know why the site won't allow me to use interrobangs? It's starting to get really annoying.  
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**  
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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Termina's Wrath

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Link cut through another spider web, freeing the way and killing the Skulltula in front of them.

"Are you sure The Postman came through here?" Link demanded. "It doesn't look like anyone's been this way. There are Skulltulas everywhere!"

"Trust me. He definitely went into the temple; I saw it." Sakon replied, casually stepping over the still twitching Skulltula. "He doesn't kill things, not even monsters, so there won't be a trail of bodies leading us to him unlike you."

Link flashed Sakon an annoyed look. "I only kill when I have to." he answered impatiently. "Monsters stand in my way of getting to the villain. It I didn't kill them, they'd only attack me."

Sakon rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say to make yourself feel better." he replied.

Link sighed and continued clearing the hall as they walked along. Sakon was trailing behind him grudgingly, wanting to find out what happed to The Postman but not especially wanting Link as his companion. He had a natural aversion to heroes but he supposed it was convenient having someone do all the dirty work for him.

"Man, it's dark in here!" Sakon commented, holding the torch a bit higher. "I don't even know how he could make it through here without a torch!"

Link paused, sword in midair. "He came in here without a torch?"

"Yeah."

"Why would you let him do that?" Link demanded, slicing through another Skulltula. "Why didn't you give him a torch?"

Sakon glanced at the torch he held. "I only had one left." he answered. "I wasn't giving him my last one."

Link simply shook his head in disgust and Sakon frowned at him.

"He's gotten through temples in the dark before." he assured Link. "There was this temple cave we both went to in the Forbidden District a few months ago. I kinda hit him over the head, robbed him and left him there but he found his way out! I'm sure he's fine."

Link gave the thief an unreadable look. "You have a funny definition of friendship." he commented.

Sakon shrugged it off. "We have an understanding." he explained. "He doesn't expect much from me; he knows I'm a villain."

Link let out a snort as he killed another Skulltula. Sakon wasn't exactly what he'd call a 'villain' in his books but he would admit the thief was a pretty slimy character.

Confident that Link could handle anything in their way. Sakon began whistling to himself, enjoying the fact he didn't have to lift a finger. Link flashed him an irritated look but didn't say anything, too focussed on clearing the hall.

They walked in semi-silence for a while, the only sound Sakon's off-key whistling. Sakon pondered on the temple's warning and whether there was any truth to it. Just because the door had a curse on it didn't mean the rest of the temple did. For all he knew, it could just be a hoax. Looking up at the hero, Sakon couldn't help but wonder about him.

"Say, Link, are you a virgin?" He called up to him just as the hero was swinging at another Skulltula.

Link faltered badly and as a result the Skulltula knocked him to the ground hard. "What?" Link demanded from the floor.

"Are you a virgin?" Sakon repeated.

Link simply stared at him.

"Hmm, probably not." Sakon decided. "I imagine heroes get a lot of action. Saving the world would make a great pick-up line..."

"That is none of your business!" Link snapped, getting back to his feet.

Sakon gave an indifferent shrug. "Aren't you the least bit curious why I wanted to know?"

Link gave him a look of disgust. "No."

"Fine." Sakon answered. "But I'd just like to let you know, you're being very rude."

Link didn't bother dignifying that with a response and instead sliced through the Skulltula in front of him. "Hold the torch up a bit higher." he ordered, moving on to the next web.

Doing as he was told, Sakon resumed whistling obnoxiously, the sound echoing loudly down the hallway. Link did his best to ignore him, but after ten minutes of hearing 'The March of the Dekus' repeated over and over, he began to get annoyed. Sakon was a genius at getting under people's skin and Link had a feeling he didn't even realize he was doing it half the time.

"Please stop whistling." Link ordered. "Or at least choose a different song."

Sakon cut off mid-whistle and frowned at him. "Like I said, rude. Most people learn manners as a child, obviously you missed that lesson in school."

Link simply gave him a 'look'.

"Oh, wait," Sakon said thoughtfully. "You come from living in the forest, you never went to school. I suppose that explains the rudeness..."

Link scowled at him. "I went to school." he snapped. "I attended the academy in Skyloft for a time."

Sakon gave a shrug. " I went to school for a little while too. My uncle suggested I stop going after the teacher beat me for reading a poem I wrote in front of the class."

Link wasn't certain he believed the thief and couldn't picture him writing poetry. "Really.' he dead-panned.

"Yeah, it was a good poem too. It rhymed and everything!"

"And what was this masterpiece called?" Link inquired.

"Ode to a buttock."

Regretting even indulging in the conversation, Link rolled his eyes and continued slicing his way through the hall. A few minutes later the hallway opened to a large chamber and Link let out a breath of relief, glad to get a break from killing Skulltulas. Sakon, upon seeing the open chamber, immediately wandered away from Link to explore the room in hopes of finding valuables. Link let him go but kept a eye on him as he himself began exploring the room.

Link had an uneasy feeling as he examined the room, certain something was lurking just out of sight. He approached the large statue in the centre of the room and frowned at its downright hateful and crazed expression. He'd never seen a statue quite like it and wondered the history of such a thing.

"Do you know anything about this statue?" he called over to Sakon.

Sakon glanced up from his explorations and squinted in the statue's direction. "I think it's a statue of Termina." he commented. "What a freaking harpy."

"Termina?" Link questioned. "As in the country?"

"Duh." Sakon answered impatiently. "Hyrule has Hylia and Termina has Termina. She's the prime example of why no one should ever be a virgin."

Link followed the statue's gaze and saw it was focussed on the large alter in front of her. Wondering of the purpose of such a statue and alter, Link approached and began inspecting them. Noticing the words written on the face of the alter, he leaned over it as he attempted to read the strange language. When he placed his hands on the stone, he felt a slight jolt run through him but it wasn't painful so he looked the writing over carefully, unable to read it. The alter felt hot against his skin and Link glanced down at his hands curiously.

"Link!" Sakon yelled out, startling him. "Behind you!"

Link glanced over his shoulder then promptly threw himself to the side just as a sword clanged down on the alter, right where his head had just been. Looking up with wide eyes as the statue withdrew its sword, Link quickly scrambled backwards a few feet. Jumping to his feet and drawing his own sword as the statue took a step towards him, Link wasn't sure of how to attack. What sort of weaknesses did a statue have?

The statue gave him a disgusted, loathing glare and took another step towards him, raising its sword. Just as it was about to swing down, it looked up and its eyes rested fully on Sakon. If possible, its expression turned even more hateful and it began making its way towards him. Link jumped at the statue, his sword causing an arc of sparks at it struck the stone. The statue looked back towards Link and swung at him mechanically, who barely managed to dodge out of the way.

Sakon was safely hidden behind a column and was watching Link dodge and lash out at the statue with keen interest. Link's sword wasn't damaging the statue in the least and Sakon had sneaking suspicion she was more interested in him than the hero.

"Hurry up and kill her!" he shouted out. "Get her!"

"Shut up, Sakon." Link ground out, dodging another blow. "This isn't as easy as it looks."

"Whatever." Sakon commented. "You're a hero, you'd think you'd be used to this by now."

Link jumped out of the way and made another futile stab at the statue. His sword bounced uselessly off, the statue not even scratched yet.

"Um, I think you've established that isn't working." Sakon pointed out.

"Shut it." Link ordered, dodging another blow.

Sakon sighed and then slipped off his backpack. Apparently he'd have to deal with it himself if he actually wanted to live. Pulling out a bomb, he lit the fuse and threw it as hard as he could at the statue. The statue caught the bomb in one of its hands and Link's eyes widened at the sight of the lit fuse. The bomb exploded before he could jump out of the way and he was thrown violently backwards, blinded by pieces of stone and dust.

Sakon let out a cheer at the obliterated statue then glanced over at the groaning hero. "Oh, yeah, watch out!" he called over.

Link rubbed at his eyes then slowly sat up, brushing bits of stone off of himself. When his vision had cleared enough for him to see, he turned angry eyes to Sakon.

Sakon had his chest puffed out proudly and gave the hero a wide grin. "You can thank me now." He said cheerfully. "It was I who saved the day!"

Link rolled to his feet, scowl in place. "Yeah, I'll thank you alright…" he muttered.

Sakon crossed his arms and stuck his nose into the air. "You're just jealous you didn't think of that!" he replied.

Deciding it wasn't worth it, Link simply sighed and continued brushing the dust off himself. At least Sakon had tried to help instead of just using the opportunity to escape.

Sakon still seemed overly proud of himself and he stepped out from behind the column with a grin. "If all else fails, blow it up." He commented. "That's one thing I've learned from being a thief."

Sakon stared at the destroyed statue triumphantly, taking in the pile of rubble , and noticed something in the middle of the debris. He could clearly make out the wooden sides of a chest and immediately rushed straight for it, hoping Link hadn't spotted it yet. Link was too busy picking slivers of stone out of himself and didn't pay much attention as the thief approached.

Sakon brushed aside the rubble and looked down at the large chest eagerly. It was one of the big item chests and Sakon felt his familiar treasure-lust consume him, knowing it would contain something good. Opening the chest, the room was filled with the musical enchantment placed only on the really, really good chests and Sakon's eyes widened at what was within.

At the very familiar item-chest music, Link glanced up just in time to see Sakon hurriedly hide something behind his back. Link narrowed his eyes.

"Did you just steal my item?" he demanded.

"It's mine fair and square!" Sakon retorted. "I defeated the statue so its treasure belongs to me!"

"I was going to defeat it!" Link snapped angrily. "You interfered!"

"Uh huh." Sakon answered skeptically, as he shoved the mystery item into his backpack. "Whatever you say, sweetie."

"I was." Link stated.

"But you didn't, I did, so I have full claim on it!"

Link knew technically Sakon was right but still couldn't help feeling cheated. He always got an item in temples and usually they were something absolutely necessary later on.

Sakon took a cautious step away from him and frowned. "You gonna steal it from me?" he asked suspiciously.

Link turned away. "No," he answered. "You're right, it's yours."

Sakon wasn't expecting to actually get his way but was quick to nod in agreement, unsure whether it was some sort of trick.

"We have to keep going," Link told him. "I don't know how big this temple is and we have less than a day to find the Kokiri and defeat Ghirahim."

Sakon raised a brow. "I won't be doing any of that." Sakon informed him. "I'm not a hero, so you do your thing and I'll do mine."

"How noble of you." Link stated, walking away from him. "Just keep the torch held high so I can see."

Sakon followed after Link and wondered when he'd find another opportunity to lose the hero. He had no interest in heroics and just wanted to find The Postman then leave before anything horrible happened.

Link headed straight for an open doorway on the far side of the room and Sakon couldn't help but feel uneasy. He had pretty good instincts for danger and the sight of the open doorway didn't seem very promising. Link stopped in front of the doorway and motioned for Sakon to bring the torch closer.

The torch-light didn't even seem to touch the darkness within so Sakon stuck the torch straight into the doorway. The moment the torch touched the darkness, it disappeared from sight, the flames unable to penitrate the magic within.

"…there's no way I'm going in there." Sakon stated, pulling the torch back out.

Link stared into the darkness and clenched his sword tightly, not sure what he'd find in the darkness but knowing he had to enter it. As Link contemplated the situation, Sakon shifted a bit nervously.

"Um, I think you should go first…"

Link flashed Sakon an unimpressed look then stepped into the darkness without hesitation. He immediately disappeared from sight and Sakon gave another uncertain shift.

"Are you dead?" Sakon called into the darkness.

"I'm fine." Link responded from somewhere in front of him. "Come in and stay behind me."

"Aw, are you going to protect me?" Sakon asked with a grin. "Are you going to be my hero?"

A hand snaked out of the doorway, grabbed him by the shirt and then yanked him harshly into the darkness. Sakon let out a yelp of surprise as everything went pitch black and squirmed against the hand holding him.

"Stay behind me unless you want to catch my sword when I attack." Link told him.

Sakon gave a blink, not expecting to be yanked in so suddenly and didn't like the heavy darkness one bit. Being a thief, he mainly used his eyesight for his line of work and being blind made him extremely uncomfortable. Groping about in the darkness, he found one of Link's arms and latched on.

"I don't like this…" Sakon stated nervously. "What if there's something in here with us?"

Link shook his arm, trying to dislodge the thief but Sakon held on all the tighter. "I can't fight with you hanging off of me." He stated irritably. "Let go."

"There's no way I'm letting you leave me in here by myself!" Sakon protested. "There could be anything in here!"

Link was not without pity and although he didn't like the thief, he was still a hero. Letting out a resigned sigh he said.

"At least switch to my other arm if you're not going to let go; I can't fight with my right arm."

Sakon hesitated only a moment, then switched to Link's other arm as the hero began slowly making his way through the darkness. After a few minutes of silence, Sakon relaxed enough to loosen his hold then asked.

"So, who is this Gimerald guy anyway? I've never heard of him."

"He's a very powerful sword-spirit who tried to help his master take over the world." Link explained distractedly. "I defeated both him and his master so I imagine it's revenge he's after."

"A sword?" Sakon questioned. "This guy is a sword?"

"A sword-spirit." Link corrected. "He has very powerful magic and can take the form of a demon."

"Hmm, the big villains tend not to like me." Sakon stated. "I think I'll let you take care of him."

Link rolled his eyes knowing very well the thief had no interest in helping him in the first place. They walked in silence for another minute or so before Link brought up a question that had been bugging him.

"Did you know the mask The Postman gave Gaepora was enchanted?"

"Well, duh." Sakon responded. "Just look who the mask came from! Of course it was cursed!"

Link instantly felt his anger rise. "You knew and you didn't bother stopping him? Didn't prevent the whole thing from even happening?"

"I tried." Sakon responded. "I've had very bad experiences with those masks and wouldn't wish them on anyone!"

Link was skeptical. "And what bad experiences are you referring to?" he demanded. "Did you try to steal from the mask shop?"

Sakon gave an obvious shudder. "No, The Happy Mask Salesman babysat me when I was five." He answered.

Link paused, this not being what he expected the thief to say. "Why would he babysit you?" he asked.

"He's my uncle," Sakon responded, his tone growing bitter. "He gave me a mask to play with and I was too little to know better."

"Your uncle?" Link cried out in surprise. "The Happy Mask Salesman is your uncle?"

"Unfortunately."

Link was completely flabbergasted and now that he thought about it, he did see a resemblance between the two. He'd never thought of villain's having a family before and wondered exactly how they interacted with one another.

"The mask he gave to you, what did it do?" Link asked curiously.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Link frowned, knowing exactly how horrible the masks could be. "That bad?" he questioned.

"After wearing that mask, my hair began falling out in clumps and I went back to wetting the bed." Sakon informed him. "Within two days I went completely bald and my hair never grew back. You have no idea the level of bad it was."

Link had a hard time picturing Sakon as a small, innocent child, but he knew he must have been at some point. In fact, all his villains must have had a childhood at one time. Finding that idea too strange, Link asked. "Why would he give a child such a horrible mask?"

"Because he's a dick." Sakon answered sullenly. "Most of my family are, I've learned to deal with it."

A shuffling sound could be heard fom just ahead and both paused to listen.

"A dark, creepy place filled with Skulltulas." Sakon sighed. "Just peachy."

"Shh." Link ordered, trying to pinpoint exactly where the first Skulltula was. "I need to listen."

Link hesitated a moment then lashed out with his sword and there was a sickening squelch as the blade made contact. The Skulltula hit the floor with a crunch and Link continued on through the darkness without a word. Sakon followed after him, booting the dead Skulltula out of his way then asked.

"Soooo, do you work for hire? You would be very useful."

Link didn't bother responding, instead lashing out at another Skulltula.

"I'd split any profits with you 75/25." Sakon offered.

Link simply sighed.

"Alright, well how about 70/30?"

When Link still didn't answer him, Sakon pressed on. 'Okay, I understand your hesitation since you're a hero and all, but it really is a good offer. I might even go 50/50 with you."

"No." Link growled out as he killed another Skulltula.

"Fine, how about 40/60? That's my final offer."

"Sakon, shut up."

"Sweetie, you really need to take a lesson in manners. You're very boorish."

"I'm not interested." Link stated impatiently. "And don't forget you still have the people of Skyloft to deal with when this is all over."

Sakon's eyes widened and his grip tightened on Link's arm. "You'd turn me over to them?" he cried. "You can't do that, they'll execute me!"

"Then perhaps you should have thought of that before you stole from them and turned their most beloved citizen into a bird."

"You can not blame me for that!" Sakon protested. "Well, maybe the thefts but not the Gaepora thing! I'm innocent!"

Link let out a snort.

"You're really going to do that?" Sakon asked, sounding hurt.

"Definitely."

"I won't let them execute me." Sakon informed him. "I will escape and unless you want to go through all the trouble of tracking me down, you shouldn't bother. It would be much easier for you to just let me go."

Link sliced through another Skulltula. "That's not going to happen."

"What do you have against me?" Sakon demanded morosely. "You've been on my case since the day I met you!"

"You're a criminal." Link responded. "You lie, steal and hurt others. You're everything I detest in villains."

"Ouch." Sakon commented, his tone amused. "You really know how to flatter a guy. I didn't realize just how much you loved me. Would an apology letter suffice? Or how about a bouquet of roses?"

Link simply sighed impatiently.

"I could write a poem and dedicate it to you?" Sakon suggested. "I've always been good at limericks."

"Please just stop talking." Link requested wearily.

Although Link couldn't see him, Sakon grinned.

"There once was a hero of time,

Who fought very hard against crime,

When he'd swing his big sword,

The villains were floored,

Causing all the girls hearts to sublime!"

"Shut up." Link ordered, irritably.

"I could write one about Zelda if you like?" Sakon asked, his tone teasing.

"There once was a girl from Hyrule,

who fell in love with a heroic fool,

she spread her legs fast-"

"If you say one more word, I'll pop your shoulder again."

Sakon instantly lost all humour. "There you go, bullying me again!" he said with a deep, forced sigh. "Honestly!"

Link didn't answer him as his fingers found a split in the cavern and he paused a moment. Sakon bumped bodily into him and also came to an abrupt halt.

"What is it?" Sakon asked. "What's the hold-up?"

"There's a fork in the tunnel." Link informed him. "I'm not sure which way to go."

Sakon let go of Link's arm and felt around the two entrances thoughtfully. Realizing this to be an opportunity, he quickly offered a suggestion.

"There's two paths and two of us. You go to the right and I'll go to the left. One of us will have to be right!"

Link hesitated but saw the sense in that. "Alright." He agreed. "We need to find the Kokiri as fast as possible. Do you have any weapons? Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine." Sakon said dismissively. "I've been in worse situations."

"If you find the Kokiri, tell them I'm on my way and try to get them to safety." Link said, feeling his way to the right tunnel.

"Will do." Sakon answered, not meaning it at all.

Sakon listened as Link disappeared down the right hallway, and simply waited. A minute or so later, there was a monstrous growl then the clang of Link's sword. Snickering, Sakon felt his way down the left tunnel. In his many experiences, right was never right. He was quite pleased to find the tunnel empty and wondered how Link was faring against the unknown whatever it was.

Several uneventful minutes later, Sakon came to the end of the tunnel and was blinded by bright sunlight. Giving a wince as his eyes adjusted, he saw he was in a wild, untamed jungle and did a double-take, sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. Taking a step further into the jungle, he reached out a hand and ran a finger down one of the plants curiously, then glanced up at the sky-light far above.

"Weird…" he commented.

He took a few steps deeper into the jungle, then froze as a loud booming snarl came from above. Very slowly looking up, he was met with the sight of a hideous monster towering above the trees, its two heads baring its fangs and all twelve eyes narrowed at him. All colour drained from Sakon's face as he recognized it.

"How dare you defile this temple!" the monster growled, pushing its way through the trees towards him. "You dare bring your disgusting, tainted self into such a sacred place?"

His eyes wide, Sakon began backing up until his back hit a tree, stopping his escape.

"You will die for your disrespect!" the monster hissed, long fangs dripping venom.

Unable to move, unable to speak, Sakon could only stare in horror as the monster approached him.

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**Reviews make the author happy!**


	12. The Monster's Plight

**Authornote:  
**

**I lied. lol. i said this was going to be the last chapter but with the way things went, it looks like there's going to be one more after this. I could have made it all one chapter but it would have been crazy long with way too much happening for one chapter so i decided to break it up.  
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**Also, so sorry I didn't update on the weekend, i got a severe illness called newgameitus. I bought Alice: Madness Returns for ps3 and have been playing it for three days straight. When I'm really into a new game, my productiveness becomes non-existent and my brain turns to mush. lol The only thing i accomplished this weekend was eating an entire bucket of peanut butter fudge crunch all by myself. Oh, well, at least the next chapter will be out faster; it's already half written.  
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**So, once again, another huge thank you to my reviewers! You guys are seriously what keeps me writing! without all the little encouragements, i probably would have taken 8 years to finish this story.  
**

**Thank you to:  
**

**Reiz16 **

**ChocolateMilkLOL **

**The Empty Lord**

**Light-Sakura**

**Nocturne of Eclipse**

**Any reviews, suggestions or critique are welcomed and don't be afraid to tell me what you really think!****  
**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

**The Monster's Plight**

* * *

For a long while, The Postman feigned sleep, staying perfectly still with eyes closed and after a time, he heard the monster settle somewhere nearby. The Kokiri were all asleep around him, the heat of the day making the sleepy and lazy and their small snores filled the air. The Postman continued to wait and soon there was a great rumbling snore from the monster. Opening his eyes a crack, The Postman saw the monster curled up very close by, all twelve eyes closed and both mouths hanging open as it snored loudly.

The monster had eaten a massive amount of fruit and plants earlier, leaving many trees completely bare and The Postman had a feeling it would sleep it off. Opening his eyes fully, The Postman sat up and watched the monster awhile, debating what he should do. He knew there was no way he was going to spend all of eternity in the garden but couldn't leave until he finished his job. Frowning at the monster, he wondered where it had hidden the letter and his other belongings. Knowing the monster was probably too clever to hide them in the jungle where he could find them, The Postman stared at the monster's mass of coils.

Slowly and quietly getting to his feet, he took a few hesitant steps towards the monster and wondered if his assumptions were correct. His decision made, The Postman reached out his hands and began climbing, hoping the monster wouldn't wake. Once on top of the monster's massive belly, The Postman gave one last furtive glance to the closed eyes then began searching.

Pushing tentacles and legs around as he made his way through the coils, The Postman looked for anything that didn't belong. He came across several pieces of fruit and the chipped 'medicine' bowl but no sign of his belongings. Pushing and crawling his way through tentacles, The Postman was vaguely reminded of childhood monkey bars and was glad he was so thin. Hoping the monster wouldn't shift in its sleep and crush him, he continued forcing his way through coil after coil.

Finally, he spotted a flash of white among the black scales and he shoved his way towards it. Pushing several tentacles out of his way, The Postman saw his letter deeply buried beneath a coil. Reaching for it with difficulty, his fingers closed over it and he gave it a hard tug. The letter was being held tightly and wouldn't budge so he pushed aside a few more tentacles then tried again. It still wouldn't budge so he pushed away two more tentacles then tried once more. When he still couldn't get it, he adjusted his grip, placed both feet against the coil and yanked it with all his might.

"What do you think you're doing?" came the angry voice of the monster directly from above him.

The Postman froze then looked up to see one of the monster's heads staring down at him with narrowed eyes.

"Um…" The Postman said, caught red-handed, his hands still on the letter. "I, uh…"

"Didn't I tell you, you're not to have that back yet?" it demanded with an obvious frown.

The Postman gave him a sort of sheepish look, not sure what to say to this. "Um…"

"I had a feeling you weren't really asleep and were up to something." The monster said in annoyance. "You were much too still."

The Postman gave another slight pull to the letter, gaze still up on the monster. "Er…" he said again, feeling very eloquent at the moment.

"You're very sneaky." The monster informed him irately. "And disobedient. I'll have to break you of that before it becomes a problem."

The monster scooped him up with one of its tentacles and held him up so they were face to face, its expression still very cross. The Postman's eyes widened in alarm, not sure what the monster was going to do to him and didn't dare say a word. Still frowning, the monster looked him up and down as if contemplating something then let out an irritated sigh.

"I'll have to decide your punishment." It stated. "I need to think on it for a while so don't think you've gotten away with anything."

The Postman gave a wide-eyed nod, simply glad the monster wasn't going to eat him at the moment.

"I'm not fond of your sneakiness." The monster told him irritably. "I'll have to keep you where I can keep an eye on you until I make a decision."

The monster then lowered him gently down into a coil and closed it completely over much like a cocoon.

"While you're in there, think on your disobedience." The monster's voice said from above. "And whether it's in your best interests to continue doing so."

Encased in semi-darkness, The Postman took a seat on the nearest tentacle and let out a deep sigh. He didn't much like small, enclosed spaces and hoped the monster wouldn't keep him there for long. It was rather hot and stuffy and almost immediately The Postman felt uncomfortable. He was a bit nervous over what the monster would decide and hoped it wouldn't eat him or sacrifice him to Termina. Absently, The Postman wondered what the goddess would even think of a postman being sacrificed to her. She'd probably think it a waste of alter space.

The Postman sat in dark silence for quite a while and was reminded of his childhood when he'd been sent to his room until he agreed to apologize for whatever he'd done. Wondering if the monster could be placated in such a way, he glanced up at the wall of the cocoon.

"Um…monster?" The Postman called up hesitantly. "Sir?"

Almost immediately, a tentacle slid out of the way and a single red eye peered down at him. "Yes?" the monster demanded impatiently.

"I would just like to say that I'm very sorry, sir." The Postman said, trying his best to look very contrite. "I wasn't thinking and didn't mean to anger you."

"Indeed." The monster responded, sounding skeptical.

"Yes, sir. I shouldn't have tried taking the letter without permission."

The monster stared down at him a long moment. "Hmph." It said a bit irately. "More tricks, little virgin?"

The Postman gave his head an adamant shake. "No, sir, I really am very sorry. You were very kind to me and what I did was very sneaky and underhanded."

Slowly, the monster lifted The Postman out of the cocoon and up so they were face to face. The monster gave him one more frown then said.

"Alright," it said a bit grudgingly. "But no more sneakiness."

The Postman immediately nodded. "Yes, sir."

The monster lowered him to the ground then said. "Just this once I'll assume you had a lapse of judgment due to your illness. Do not disobey me again."

The Postman gave another nod.

The monster settled itself down comfortably, apparently done with him, so The Postman turned to go.

"Where are you going?" The monster demanded without even looking at him.

"To the waterfall." The Postman responded, wanting somewhere cool and quiet where he could think; somewhere where he could come up with a new plan.

The monster's eyes drifted closed. "Don't go in the water." It informed him.

"I won't." The Postman promised, hurriedly ducking into the jungle.

Once he was a safe distance away, he relaxed and slowed to a walk. That had been a close one. He was lucky the monster seemed to be a really easygoing fellow. Most monsters probably would have just killed him.

When he reached the waterfall, he took a seat at the river's edge and began pondering on the situation. He needed to find a way to get his belongings back and escape the garden. If it had of just been the hat and sandals, he would have just left them but not when it was a letter. He only had one responsibility in the world and that was to deliver the mail and he'd be damned if he let a monster stop him when he only had one letter left.

Spitefully, The Postman let his legs dangle into the water and he stared up at the waterfall moodily. How was he going to get the letter back? The direct approach didn't work so he'd have to think of some way to trick the monster into giving it to him. Sighing, The Postman stared up towards the skylight. He was quite surprised to see someone staring back at him from the other side. Kaepora Gaebora stepped through a broken pane in the skylight, then gracefully swooped down to him, landing on a nearby tree.

"Hoo hoooot!" Kaepora Gaebora called to him. "We meet again, young postman."

"Hello." The Postman, greeted politely.

"How goes your quest?" the owl asked him, cocking his head. "All goes well?"

The Postman shook his head. "No." he responded miserably. "I've lost the letter."

"Do not fret," Kaepora Gaebora informed him. "Journeys are not always easy but you will do fine."

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing." The Postman responded with a frown.

"That is the way it's supposed to be." Kaepora Gaebora told him. "The only thing I can tell you is that you should go find the monster."

The Postman gave a nod, kicking at the water distractedly. So his quest had something to do with the monster? What was he supposed to do, kill it? He couldn't see that ever happening.

"Hoo," the owl said impatiently. "No, I mean you should go find the monster now, postman."

The Postman looked up with a frown. "Why?" he asked. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Go and you will see." Kaepora Gaebora said. "This is my last part in your quest and you will not see me again for a while."

"Where will you go?" The Postman asked, hearing a loud roar in the distance. "Won't you return to Skyloft?"

"Goodbye, Postman, keep safe."

Then without another word, he spread his wings and took off into the air, flying back out the way he had come. The Postman stared up at the skylight a moment before an even louder, more vicious roar caught his attention. Looking over, he could see the monster towering over the trees, growling and snarling at something in front of it. Wondering what caused the monster to become that angry, to stood to his feet and headed towards it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakon stared up at the monster like a terrified rabbit, his mind desperately trying to think of a way out of his impending death. The tree behind him was as unyielding as ever and the monster didn't look like it was about to just let him go, so Sakon did what came natural: he dove to the side and ran for it. As he bolted away, a large glob of acid hit the tree where his head had just been, burning a deep hole into the wood. His eyes wide at the close call, Sakon let out a curse and ran into the jungle, the monster right on his tail.

The monster lashed out at him claws and teeth and Sakon dodged and jumped almost as fast as he ran. Thanking the goddesses he was so nimble, Sakon threw himself out of the way of another glob of acid.

"Can't we talk about this?" Sakon yelled up to the monster.

"No." the monster growled angrily. "I am going to kill you."

"But why?" Sakon protested, ducking behind a tree. 'What have I done?"

The monster knocked the tree aside as if it were made of paper and lashed out at the thief with a tentacle. "You are disgusting and filthy!" it snarled. "This is a sacred temple of Termina and you have no business here!"

"What about if I leave?" Sakon suggested hopefully.

"You have already defiled the temple so you must die."

Sakon rolled out of the way of several more tentacles, not sure how long he could keep running and dodging the way he was. "But I haven't defiled it, I swear!" Sakon protested. "My pants have been up all day!"

The monster let out an angry bellow and spat an enormous glob of acid in the thief's direction. Sakon jumped out of the way, only catching a small splatter across his shirt. A large portion of his shirt immediately burnt away and Sakon let out a breath of relief at the close call.

As Sakon ran in and around bushes and trees, trying to slow the monster, he knew he had to do something before he got out of breath. Slipping the backpack off his shoulder, he reached in and felt his fingers close over his newly acquired weapon. Dodging another razor-sharp claw, Sakon held up a small, slender crossbow, loading an arrow as he ran. When he had it loaded, Sakon looked up at the monster, trying to find a weakness. His gaze settled on the monster's heads and he knew what he had to do.

"It's always the eyes." He mumbled to himself.

Rolling away from another attack, Sakon took careful aim as he continued running as fast as he could. Having a good shot available, his finger pressed down on the trigger but his arm was knocked aside as someone collided bodily into him. The arrow flew through the air and hit the monster harmlessly on the thigh. Sakon quickly caught his balance and looked up to see The Postman standing in front of him, arms spread to stop the monster from attacking. He blinked in surprise then gave the other man a grin.

"Oh, hey darling!" he greeted. "How you been holding up?"

"I've had better days." The Postman responded distractedly.

The monster brushed the arrow out of its skin as if it were nothing more than a bee-sting and narrowed its eyes at the two men.

"Out of the way, little virgin." it ordered.

The Postman shook his head. "Please don't kill him," he yelled up to the monster. "He's my friend!"

"I said out of the way." the monster said impatiently. "He has defiled the temple and I will kill him."

The Postman look over his shoulder at Sakon who was reloading the crossbow just in case. "What did you do?" he demanded.

Sakon gave him an offended look. "I didn't do anything!" he protested. "It wants to kill me just because I exist!"

The monster gave a shrug. "It's true." it admitted. "His existence irritates me."

The Postman crossed his arms with a frown. "That doesn't mean you should kill him." he said. "He annoys everyone."

The monster made an impatient noise in the back of its throat. "Move." it ordered.

The Postman stubbornly shook his head. "No, you don't have to hurt him! He's not causing any harm!"

The Monster gave a growl of frustration. "I am the protector of this temple and all trespassers will be killed! He is an insult to Termina and I suggest you get out of the way, little virgin, before I lose my temper with you."

"No."

"Then I will move you!" the monster snapped, reaching out a tentacle towards him.

Sakon, very quickly realizing the monster didn't want to hurt The Postman, reached out and grabbed the other man, effectively using him as a shield.

"Back away or I kill him!" Sakon yelled, pointing the crossbow directly at The Postman's temple.

The Postman was just as surprised as the monster and froze as the point of the arrow pressed against his head. The monster let out an infuriated howl and visibly shook in anger.

"Release him at once, foul creature!" it bellowed. "Do not harm him!"

"I'll do it!" Sakon yelled. "Back off or I pull the trigger!"

The monster bared its fangs but did seem to be contemplating the situation. It looked down at the crossbow, then at The Postman, then to Sakon who had a cocky look about him. It had a feeling Sakon really would do it, if he tried anything. Letting out a furious hiss, the monster backed up several feet and settled himself to watch and wait.

"You will have to release him eventually." it said decidedly. "When you do, I will kill you."

Sakon tilted his chin up stubbornly. "We'll see about that. I want to live more than you want to kill me so I'm quite prepared to hang on for years."

The Postman grimaced at that thought but didn't move or say anything.

The monster gave Sakon a seething look. "You are a loathsome creature." it informed him. "I will enjoy digesting you slowly."

Sakon gave a shrug. "I've heard that one before."

The Postman shifted slightly, looking at the arrow out of the corner of his eye and then whispered. "Sakon, please don't let your finger slip..."

"Relax, darling, I've got this covered. Just don't make any sudden movements."

The Postman wasn't reassured in the least and let out a sigh.

"Why do you keep attracting these types of monsters?" Sakon demanded. "I've already been eaten by one of these slug monsters and have no interest in doing it again!"

The Postman had no answer for this and gave a shrug.

The monster, listening to their every word, narrowed all of its eyes. "What are you prattling about?" it snarled.

"You heard me!" Sakon snapped rudely."Your cousin already tried to eat me and I'm not letting you do the same! It was disgusting and horrible!"

"What are you talking about?" the monster demanded. "Cousin?"

"Yeah, you know, ugly spidery slug octopus living in the Goron tunnels?"

The monster seemed confused but remembered The Postman also mentioning a monster in the Goron tunnels. He'd been delirious at the time so the monster hadn't really thought about it until now.

"You are mistaken." the monster informed him. "I am the last of my kind."

Sakon let out a snort. "Nice try, but no one could ever forget anything as ugly as you!"

The Postman frowned disapprovingly and gave Sakon a nudge. "Sakon, that was rude."

The monster stared down at Sakon then shook both of its heads. "Nay, you're either mistaken or a liar." it said. "The goddess Termina herself told me I was the last of my kind. I have served in her temple for millennia as there is no place in the world for just one monster."

Sakon let out a snicker. "Man, she really lied to you!" he commented in amusement. "That's hilarious! She just wanted to use you and you were none the wiser!"

The monster still seemed skeptical and looked down at The Postman for confirmation. "Is what he says true?" it asked. "There is another of my kind?"

The Postman gave a nod. "Yes, sir." he informed it. "She's been living in a series of tunnels that run through Death mountain. I met her myself a few months ago."

The monster's eyes widened dramatically. "A female of my kind?" it asked softly as if it daren't hope. "A female that is alive and well?"

"She was very old and tired when I last saw her, sir." The Postman told it. "She said she just wanted to rest."

"We are all very old." the monster informed him, looking wistful. "My kind was here before any other."

Sakon instantly had an idea. "Um, I think you should go find her..." he suggested. "Go away, right now and track her down. The two of you can cause Death mountain to erupt if you know what I mean..."

"I was deceived." the monster stated, starting to shake in pure rage. "I served Termina faithfully for most of my life but she betrayed my trust!"

Sakon gave a nod of agreement. "Yeah, you can never trust a virgin!"

Not even listening, the monster gave a furious roar, looking completely murderous. "What a fool I was, trusting a goddess! I have wasted my life in this temple!"

Sakon schooled his expression into something sympathetic. "We've all done dumb things; don't sweat it."

The monster gave another roar, foaming at the mouth in its anger. "I am through!" it yelled out. "I will guard this temple no longer! Termina is now an enemy of my kind! This betrayal is unforgivable!"

As the monster yelled and snarled in its tantrum, The Postman and Sakon exchanged a look. There would be no talking to it in this state and would have to hope it didn't turn its anger directly on them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ganondorf tightened his gloves as he stared out across the assembled Gerudos. Every able-bodied Gerudo was fitted for war and stood still and alert as they awaited instruction. They stared at their king solemnly, trusting him completely and without question, knowing he would do anything within his power to protect his subjects.

They had run out of food the day before and what little water that remained wouldn't last much longer. Knowing they had to march before the first Gerudo fell, Ganondorf finished donning his armour silently. The Gerudos waited patiently as he walked up and down their ranks inspecting them, and all knew the gravity of the situation.

Dressed fully for war, Ganondorf was truly an intimidating sight and his power crackled around him, fed by his anger and anxiety. His eyes cold and focussed, he drew his sword and held it to the sky.

"For the Gerudos!" he bellowed out.

Instantly, every Gerudo raised their own weapons with a roar.

"For the Gerudos!"

Every Gerudo felt the fear and desperation coursing within them and without another word, they followed their king into war.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Cursing his rotten luck, Link made his way down the left tunnel, hoping there wasn't something nasty down this one as well. He hadn't heard any screams of terror from Sakon so he figured that worked in his favour. Although Link wasn't injured, he was out of breath and knew it would take him a few minutes to recover before he was at his best.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, he was blinded by the bright sunlight and winced, holding a hand up to shield his eyes. Blinking his eyes several times to adjust them, Link was shocked to see he was now in the middle of an enormous jungle. Clenching his sword tightly, Link inspected his surroundings, sure there was something lurking to attack him. He looked up at the skylight for a moment then across the vast expanse of the jungle. His eyes immediately fell on the gigantic monster towering over the trees and he narrowed his eyes. There was always a monster protecting the main villain. With a deep breath of determination, Link held up his sword and charged towards it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When the monster had vented most of its anger and seemed a lot calmer, Sakon decided to try his luck and speak to it.

"Sooo," Sakon began in a casual tone. "If you're angry at Termina, are you still planning on killing me?"

The monster frowned down at him but gave a shrug. "I suppose not." It conceded. "I have forsaken Termina and am no longer the protector of this temple. I no longer care who defiles it."

"I never 'defiled' it." Sakon responded petulantly.

"I will not argue with you." The monster stated. "You're not worth my time."

The Postman shifted slightly, the tip of the arrow starting to get extremely uncomfortable. "Sakon, will you please let me go? You're hurting me."

Sakon hesitated then gave another uneasy look up at the monster. "Sorry, darling, not just yet." He answered. "I don't think it would be in my best interests."

The Postman let out an irritated sigh then glanced up at the monster. "Sir, do you promise not to kill Sakon?" he asked. "Will you give us your word?"

The monster rolled its eyes impatiently. "He's not worth my time." It responded. "Why do you care whether he dies? He's a rather repulsive character."

"He's my friend." The Postman answered easily.

Both of the monster's snouts crinkled in disapproval. "Be careful who you befriend." It suggested. "This one cannot be trusted, but I give you my word, he will not be harmed."

The Postman gave a nod, believing him but Sakon was still skeptical. Years of being a thief and villain made him naturally suspicious of everyone so he didn't release his hold.

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" he demanded. "That the minute I let go you won't stomp me?"

The monster gave him an impatient look. "I do not lie." It stated. "Not all creatures are as corrupt as you."

Sakon knew he wasn't the most honest of people but still wasn't sure whether to feel offended or not. He hesitated a moment and was about to retort when a green blur pushed past him, sword drawn and expression determined.

All stared at the hero in surprise as he ran straight for the monster and lunged at one of its legs without pause. The monster clearly wasn't expecting an attack and Link cut one of the legs before it even had a chance to react. The cut was very shallow but it still bled a dark green as Link withdrew his sword.

"Ow!" the monster protested, lifting the injured leg away from Link. "Exactly what are you doing?" it demanded.

Link who had been preparing himself for a second attack, paused. "You can talk?" he asked in surprise.

The monster gave him an irritated look. "Obviously." It replied angrily. "Now, I suggest you explain yourself, young human."

Link wasn't about to be intimidated by a monster just because it could speak and scowled up at it fearlessly. "I am here to rescue the Kokiri and defeat Ghirahim!" he yelled out, holding up his sword threateningly. "I won't let you stand in my way!"

The monster simply stared at him a moment, not impressed. "How am I standing in your way?" it demanded. "The Kokiri are over there in the clearing if you want them."

Link's sword drooped down a bit as he again hesitated. "You..you're not going to stop me?" he asked in disbelief.

"No." the monster replied. "I am no longer the protector of this temple and have no interest in what you do."

Link frowned skeptically, his hand clenching the sword loosely. "Really?"

"Yes, now please go about your business and kindly stop hacking at my legs." The monster said, looking away from the hero.

Link now felt a bit awkward holding his sword out with the monster not even looking at him and frowned. He was sure it had to be some sort of ploy or trick and didn't lower his guard. His eyes swept the area and when they settled on Sakon and The Postman, he did a double-take. He had no idea what had led Sakon to press a crossbow to The Postman's temple but was sure it involved the monster somehow.

"What are you doing?" he demanded in disbelief.

Sakon hesitated a moment then lowered the crossbow. "Nothing." He answered. "Just holding off until you got here…"

The Postman said nothing at all, simply rubbing at his temple as Link frowned suspiciously at them. The Postman certainly didn't seem afraid for his life nor did the monster seem concerned with the two. When no one seemed inclined to explain anything to him, Link let out a breath of irritation.

"Would someone please explain why you," Link said, pointing to Sakon. "were trying to kill him," his finger slid over to The Postman. "and why he doesn't seem inclined to kill anyone?" he pointed a finger accusingly at the monster who simply seemed impatient.

"It's complicated." Sakon replied with a shrug. "I still don't really understand myself why I haven't been eaten yet…"

Link turned his gaze to The Postman. "Well?" he demanded.

The Postman mirrored Sakon and simply shrugged. "I was just trying to deliver a letter." He explained. "It didn't exactly go as planned…"

"Darling, we could compare your job to a burning village." Sakon informed him. "Nothing ever goes as planned for you."

The Postman knew this was true and simply sighed.

Link was feeling incredibly confused and frustrated. He had fought the same type of battles and had gone on the same type of quests for as long as he could remember. He would fight his way through a few temples, defeat the monsters within then move on to the main villain. It had always been that way. He had never encountered a monster who could speak, let alone one who had no intentions of stopping him. This left him feeling very disconcerted and uncertain.

"um…okay then." Link responded, still wondering if the monster was planning something. "If you're not going to kill me, will you tell me where Ghirahim is?"

"He's through the door on the far side of the gardens." The Postman answered distractedly. "Please don't kill him until I deliver my letter."

Link glanced across the large room. "He's just right over there?" he questioned in disbelief. "I just open the door and he's there? No death-traps, mazes or keys to find?"

"I think you were supposed to go in the other entrance to the temple." The monster informed him. "He's been setting things up for weeks now. He probably didn't expect the little virgin to leave the back door open for you."

The Postman's ears turned slightly pink as Link glanced over at him. Realizing he'd managed to bypass the entire temple, Link couldn't help but smile. Boy was Ghirahim going to be mad!

Turning away towards the jungle, Link lifted his sword once more. "I have a few things to discuss with you two later." He stated, flashing the two men an irritated look. "But I don't have time right now, so it can wait.

Link kept a wary eye on the monster, as he turned then asked. "The Kokiri are all safe?"

"They are." The monster confirmed. "I have guarded them myself."

Link wasn't sure whether to believe the monster but gave a nod all the same. Time was of the essence so he disappeared into the jungle without another word.

Once he was gone, Sakon stuck his tongue out after the hero then gave The Postman a grin. "Okay, let's get out of here."

The Postman immediately shook his head. "Not until I make my delivery." He stated.

Sakon let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't make me threaten to shoot you again!" he warned, running a finger along the crossbow.

The Postman simply gave him a skeptical frown.

"Don't be stupid!" Sakon protested. "If we don't go now, that Jeraheem guy might tear apart the temple with us in it!"

Knowing Sakon wouldn't actually kill him, The Postman looked up at the monster who seemed to be thinking.

"Excuse me, sir, but if you're no longer the guardian of the temple, may I please have my belongings back?"

The monster looked down at him a long moment. "I like how polite you are." It stated. "I don't get that very often."

A tentacle reached out and plopped The Postman's hat down on his head then another reached forward with his letter and sandals. The Postman immediately reached out to take them then gave a grateful nod to the monster.

"Thank you, sir."

Sakon looked up at the monster and couldn't help but ask what was on his mind. "So, what are you going to do now?" he asked curiously. "There can't be very many job openings for ugly slug monsters."

"I will leave here." The monster responded, ignoring the rudeness. "It's been millennia since I've been to the world below the clouds. I imagine much has changed and I'll have a lot to explore."

"Um, not to burst your bubble or anything," Sakon began. "But there's no way you're going to fit through the door…"

The monster answered his question by smashing a tentacle through the side of the greenhouse. The entire wall shattered, sending bits of glass and wood everywhere and both men jumped behind the monster to avoid it.

"…oh, well I guess that'll work." Sakon said.

The Postman stared at the gaping hole then out at the islands edge. "How are you going to get to the ground, sir?" he asked. "It's a very long way down."

To answer his question, the monster bent its back into an awkward shape, causing a loud, sickening crack then two wings burst out of its back sending droplets of blood splattering everywhere. The monster seemed quite pleased with itself and both heads bared their teeth in a grin.

"I will fly!" it announced proudly.

Sakon was less impressed however and wiped at the green blood that covered him with a grimace. He noticed The Postman didn't have a drop on him and scowled.

"How do you do that?" he demanded. "You're unnatural."

The Postman simply gave a shrug and again turned his attention to the monster. He noticed the wings looked strong and would definitely be able to support the monster's weight.

"Um, sir, if it wouldn't be too presumptuous of me, could I ask that you please bring us down with you? We have no other way home."

"We have Zigzag!" Sakon protested. "Remember? Giant pink Loftwing?"

"Didn't you say he wouldn't fly beneath the clouds?" The Postman questioned.

"I might be able to coax him down…maybe."

Ignoring him once more, The postman turned his attention back to the monster. "You've been very kind to me, sir, could you please help me just one last time?"

The monster gave a nod, as The Postman wasn't really asking much at all. "I will." it said.

"Thank you, sir. I just need to deliver my letter then I'll be ready to go."

"Don't be long, I'm eager to leave this cursed place." The monster informed him. "I'll wait for you outside."

The Postman gave a nod as Sakon crossed his arms with a scowl. "I'll go with you," he told The Postman. "but only because I don't want to wait with Mr. Chompy here."

Now that there was no immediate danger, Sakon relaxed enough to get his first good look at The Postman. He stared at him a long moment as they entered the jungle then frowned.

"There's something different about you…" he said a bit uncertainly. "Did you get a haircut or something?"

The Postman rolled his eyes. "Yes, something like that." He responded.

* * *

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**Reviews make the author happy!**


	13. Ghirahim

**Authornote:  
**

**Yaaaay! Last chapter everyone! It took me a little over a month to write the whole thing and I hope you guys like the conclusion! This is the longest chapter yet for obvious reasons and I hope i didn't make any noticeable mistakes.  
**

**Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! You guys have been with me every step of the way and i really appreciate it!  
**

**A huge thank you to:  
**

**Reiz16**

**The Empty Lord**

**ChocolateMilkLOL **

**Light-Sakura **

**Nocturne of Eclipse**

**Illusionary Path**

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**A Delivery to the Sky**

Ghirahim

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The Kokiri had been staring into the jungle uncertainly having heard the monster's snarls and didn't dare go investigate, afraid it was fighting Ghirahim again. When all sound stopped from within the jungle, the Kokiri weren't sure what had happened and hid themselves. They remained hidden in silence until a very familiar figure in green entered the clearing.

The moment Link came within sight, every Kokiri let out a joyful yell and threw themselves at him. Link let out a deep breath of relief, glad the Kokiri appeared unhurt and well. He gave them a wide smile which all the Kokiri quickly returned.

"I received your letter." Saria told him, giving him another hug. "I'm glad you found us."

"Are you alright?" Link asked. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Saria shook her head. "No, we're fine, but you have to stop Ghirahim. He's planning something horrible."

"What's he been up to?" Link asked with a frown.

Saria's face crumpled in worry. "I don't know, but he's been using our powers to grow this garden. He's evil, it can't be anything good."

Link gave a nod, knowing he would now face Ghirahim in battle. Looking down at the familiar faces of his friends, he knew he would do anything to protect them. Not really wanting to leave them on their own again, he frowned.

"Will you be alright while I challenge Ghirahim?" he asked.

"Don't worry about us." Saria assured him. "We'll be fine. Go get Ghirahim, Link!"

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Link promised. "Keep everyone hidden until I return."

"I will." Saria told him solemnly. "Stay safe, Link and I wish you luck."

Link gave the Kokiri one last smile then turned back into the jungle, prepared to face the difficult battle ahead. He pushed his way through the dense jungle silently and when he came to the edge of the greenhouse, he found the door just as The Postman had described.

Taking a deep breath, Link stared a long moment at the wooden door then reached out and pushed it open. Link charged into the room, sword raised and mind focussed to fight, but immediately paused at the sight before him. Ghirahim obviously hadn't been expecting him and was seated casually on his throne, one a hand spread out in before him in the process of touching up his nail polish. The villain paused mid-stroke and stared at Link incomprehensibly for a moment then his expression turned completely outraged.

"What?" he cried out indignantly. "How did you get here so quickly? That temple should have taken you weeks to get through! I set up more mazes, traps and monsters than you've ever seen! How did you do it? How did you get here? I wasn't even informed you were in the temple yet!"

Link gave him a shrug, enjoying how flustered the villain was. "I took the back door." he replied.

Ghirahim stared at him with wide eyes as that sunk in. "...the back door?" he questioned. "What do you mean the 'back door'? The only other entrance to this temple is cursed by Termina! You never would have been able to open that door; she would have killed you!"

Link readjusted his grip on the sword, steadying his stance as he replied. "The Postman forgot to close the door after him so I didn't even have to touch it. Postmen are notoriously bad at closing doors and gates."

Ghirahim set down the bottle of nail polish hard, causing the glass to let out a 'clack' as it hit the stone. His violet eyes were narrowed to angry slits and he clenched his teeth as he fought to get his temper under control.

"Months and months of plans and preparations were ruined due to one little insignificant postman?" he demanded. "The best temple a villain had ever designed and the hero doesn't even go in it?"

Link gave him a smirk. "Looks that way."

Ghirahim flipped his white hair out of his eyes, positively shaking in fury. He already had a vendetta against The Postman from their previous encounter but now his loathing reached all new levels. He wouldn't be satisfied until he eviscerated him and had torn him limb from limb. Taking a deep, forced breath, Ghirahim turned his gaze entirely on Link who had begun approaching .

"No matter," he told the hero. "You may be earlier than expected but you're still too late to stop me. My plan is now almost complete."

"Stop you from what exactly?" Link demanded, still trying to figure out the villains motive and plan.

Ghirahim smiled at him cruelly. "Did you see my garden, skychild?" he asked. "It really is quite marvellous."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Ghirahim gave him an amused chuckle. "You're so much fun to play with hero; so very brash, so daring and brave, so...very, very dumb. Did it not even occur to you to wonder why I was growing a garden?"

Link didn't answer, simply frowning and waiting for Ghirahim to continue monologuing. Every villain he'd ever faced loved to brag to him about how very clever they were, so Link rarely had to even ask.

Ghirahim crossed his legs casually, still looking amused. "So, how is the world doing?" he questioned innocently. "Things getting a bit dusty down there?"

Link simply narrowed his eyes.

"I've told you before, skychild, the world belongs to me and I will take my kingdom back. The world is not how I want it right now; too many undesirable creatures staining its surface. I thought a cleanse would do the world good and get rid of anything not fit to live there."

Link's glare was fixed entirely on the villain. "And the garden?"

"With death must come life." Ghirahim explained. "Once I've destroyed the world, I will restore it to how it should be."

"How?" Link demanded.

Ghirahim gave a casual stretch before answering. "The Kokiri have interesting magical abilities which was strengthened by this temple. They've been quite useful and I may let them live once this is all over. Because of them, my power has doubled and you're no longer any match for me."

"How is the garden giving you power?" Link demanded. "It's just plants and trees!"

Ghirahim gave a frown down at his unfinished nails then gave a sigh. "It's not just a garden, skychild, it's energy and power which has been building and growing because of the Kokiri. I've been harnessing that power for days now and you don't stand a chance against it."

Link openly glowered at the sword-spirit. "And what is your plan after you've restored the world? Revive Demise once more?"

Ghirahim gave a snort. "He is no longer my master." he stated. "He was weak and didn't appreciate the strength I gave him. I rule myself now, I am free."

"You're free but yet you choose to continue doing evil?"

"Your point?" Ghirahim questioned, looking again at his unfinished nails.

Link didn't answer, simply clenching his sword all the tighter. Villains always claimed they were invincible but he'd never come across one that truly was. Every villain had their weakness and he'd be sure to exploit it.

Ghirahim was obviously quite confident in his new strength as he looked away from Link and re-opened his bottle of nail polish. As he busied himself with finishing the last two nails, Link simply stared at him, sword still drawn, unused to being so blatantly ignored.

Furrowing his brow, Link knew this was an opportunity and lunged directly at Ghirahim, sword poised for the kill. Ghirahim disappeared in a shimmer of sparkles and the sword slashed harmlessly through the bottle of nail polish. Link spun around looking fro Ghirahim and saw him leaning against the door, frown in place.

"I liked that colour." he informed the hero with a sigh. "It was very hard to find."

Link scowled at him and charged. Once again, Ghirahim disappeared and when Link looked up, he was back in his throne.

"No matter," Ghirahim said as if there had been no interruption. "I'll just use your blood instead."

As Link turned towards him, Ghirahim disappeared and this time reappeared directly behind Link. Nose in the blond hair, he ran a finger up Link's jawline as the hero stiffened. Ghirahim then chuckled as he disappeared once more. This time when he reappeared across the room, Link charged at him furiously. Ghirahim was expecting this and easily caught the sword in one of his hands, stopping the blade's decent.

"Tsk, tsk, so predictable." he mocked with a smirk.

Link wrenched his sword away and took a second swing with the same results. Ghirahim was a lot faster than the last time they'd fought and even when he swung a third time then a fourth, he couldn't make a hit. From experience, he knew Ghirahim's weak point was the centre of his chest but the demon could now block faster than he could swing.

Knowing he had to come up with a new strategy, Link backed away to assess the situation. He'd fought Ghirahim before but he had a feeling this time would be different. Ghirahim licked his lips in anticipation and gave his fingers a snap, six sharp knives appearing around him. As they spun about him in blurs of black and red, Ghirahim gave Link a smirk, confident that he would win. With a wave of his hand, he sent the daggers flying towards Link without warning, the hero instinctively raising his shield.

Link successfully deflected four of the daggers but the other two bit painfully into his legs. Grimacing at the pain, Link backed away, still trying to figure out how to attack. He couldn't swing fast enough but if he had something small and lightening quick that he could shoot at the villain, he was sure that would work.

Ghirahim took a step closer to him, positively radiating cockiness, and placed his hands on his hips.

"What's the matter? Can't get a hit in?" he mocked, his eyes full of malice.

Ghirahim gave a snap to his fingers and another six daggers appeared. Without a word, he shot them directly at Link who rolled to get out of their way. His legs were cut once more and Ghirahim gave a giggle at the sight of the blood on the floor.

"Your blood makes such beautiful paint." he stated. "I'll have fun decorating the walls with you. It's a shame you have such a pretty face...I almost don't want to tear it apart."

Link glared at the villain, his blue eyes narrowed to slits and his mind working to come up with a solution. He dodged another six daggers, this time without injury and backed up another few paces. Needing a weapon he could use at a distance, Link pulled out his slingshot and loaded a Deku Seed. As he ran, he took careful aim then released it. The seed sailed across the room and struck Ghirahim on hard on the chest. It bounced harmlessly off and Ghirahim paused a moment and rubbed at his chest, the seed having stung.

"...did you just try to hurt me with a slingshot?" he demanded incredulously. "You're seriously using a child's weapon against me?"

Blushing a bit, Link quickly put the slingshot away and instead pulled out his bow and arrows.

Ghirahim rolled his eyes dramatically. "Well, at least it's not a slingshot."

Link fumbled to load the bow as he ran, Ghirahim shooting at him over and over again. When he managed to get an arrow loaded and tried to take aim, the daggers hit him straight on and he fell to the floor in agony. Bleeding heavily, he rolled to his feet and tried again with the same results. He needed both his shield and bow at the same time but was unable to draw the bow with just one hand. Every time he lowered the shield, a dagger would hit him full on and he was beginning to lose a lot of blood.

Silently cursing as he fell to the floor, Link wasn't able to get up again, his vision beginning to blur. As another dagger struck his thigh, Link knew that he was dying. Reaching into his tunic and pulling out a potion, he uncorked it and drank deeply, instantly feeling better.

"Hey!" Ghirahim yelled out indignantly. "That's cheating, skychild!"

Link rolled easily to his feet and glanced down at his bow. He knew he had the right idea but the bow just wasn't the right weapon for the job. As he drew his sword once more, he remembered about Sakon. The thief had been holding a crossbow to The Postman's head and Link's eyes widened in realization. The treasure Sakon had taken was the crossbow! The crossbow he now needed to defeat Ghirahim! Cursing the thief under his breath, Link dodged another attack, wondering how he could improvise.

Ghirahim seemed to be getting bored of the constant dodging and let out an irritated sigh. "You know I'm going to win." he informed him casually. "Why not just give up and spare yourself the embarrassment?"

Link would never give up, no matter what the circumstance. The entire world was depending on him and he'd fight to the last breath. No matter how dangerous or hopeless a situation seemed, Link would continue fighting. He was knocked to the ground hard as he once more tried to load his bow and knew he had to come up with another plan.

Just as Link rolled to his feet, a voice cut in loudly, interrupting the battle.

"Heyyy!"

Both Ghirahim and Link looked up in surprise and saw The Postman standing just a few feet from the villain, white letter held out proudly. Neither had seen him enter the room and Ghirahim clenched his teeth and let out a low growl of outrage.

"YOU!" Ghirahim bellowed out, instantly all his attention on The Postman. "You ruined everything! You're to blame for this!"

The Postman wasn't sure what the villain was talking about and cocked his head in confusion. "Sorry about the other day, sir, I wasn't feeling very well, but I still have your letter."

He held out the letter a bit further but Ghirahim ignored it, too furious to even consider it.

"You let him into my temple!" he snarled, pointing at Link. "You could have disrupted my plans you little fool!"

"...sorry?" The Postman said a bit hesitantly. "I didn't realize I was supposed to shut the door. Next time I deliver your mail, I'll be sure to remember to close it."

"I am going to kill you incredibly slowly, little stalker." Ghirahim hissed. "There won't be a next time. I will torture you so badly, every postman on the planet will feel it!"

The Postman gave a nod. "Yes, sir, but before you do that, will you please accept your letter?"

Link had never seen The Postman in action before and couldn't believe the lack of fear shown. The Postman wasn't strong, he wasn't magical and he didn't even carry a weapon. He was simply a very determined and brave individual.

"Postman, it's not safe for you here!" Link yelled over to him. "Leave now!"

The Postman spared him a glance out of the corner of his eye but otherwise ignored him completely. He took a step closer to Ghirahim, still holding out the letter, determined and unafraid.

"You letter, sir." he urged. "Please take it."

With a snap of his fingers, Ghirahim made over a dozen daggers appear. "At first you were amusing but now I will kil-"

Ghirahim cut off abruptly as Link stabbed hard at the villain's chest. Ghirahim was knocked back a step and he instinctively raised a hand to cover the weak spot on his chest. Blocking Link's next attack, he flashed the hero a loathing look.

"You are a cheat, skychild!" he snapped. "Attacking me when I wasn't even looking! I'll make you pay tenfold for that!"

"Sir? Your letter?" The Postman reminded. "This is my last one so I would appreciate it if you'd take it."

Ghirahim gave him a scowl then gave Link one as well, unsure of who he wanted to kill first. Frustrated with the entire situation, he gave a flick of the wrist and sent the daggers shooting at both of them. The Postman easily dodged and sidestepped around the attack, never once lowering the letter. Link managed to dodge all of them as well which infuriated Ghirahim all the more.

"Leave The Postman out of this!" Link ordered. "He's no match for you, he's just a civilian! Fight me instead!"

"Oh, don't you worry, I intend to." Ghirahim informed him. "I will kill you both. That 'civilian' as you call him ruined both my plans and my favourite shirt. I do not enjoy bodily fluids and he will be destroyed because of it."

"What?" Link questioned. "Bodily fluids? What are you talking about?"

"I threw up on him." The Postman said, looking rather embarrassed. "It was an accident..."

"Never mind that!" Ghirahim snarled. "Prepare to die, skychild."

With a wave of his hands, there was spiral of energy and Ghirahim transformed into his full demon form. His skin was now the blackest ebony which Link knew to be as hard as stone and Ghirahim's solid white eyes focussed on the hero entirely. The demon's mouth curved up into a cruel smirk, pointed teeth showing for just a moment before he said.

"You thought I was tough before, wait until you see what I'm truly capable of!" he snarled.

"Whoa, she's kind of...hot." a voice whispered a bit too loudly.

Both Ghirahim and Link turned to see Sakon standing behind The Postman, obviously leering at the demon. They hadn't seen or heard him enter the room and both just stared at him a moment.

"Who is that?" Sakon whispered again much too loudly.

Without looking at him, The Postman responded. "That's a man."

Sakon crinkled his nose as he squinted a bit closer at Ghirahim, his gaze clearly on the demon's lack of genitalia. "You sure?" he asked a bit uncertainly.

Ghirahim clenched his teeth, silently seething as The Postman gave a nod. Sakon was clearly flustered now and he continued hiding behind The Postman as he gawked at Ghirahim.

"Is he that Jeralim guy?" he questioned.

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "Ghirahim." he corrected clearly annoyed. "And who are you and why is everyone just barging in here? Is there a sign or something directing civilians to this temple?"

"Right, Gerohem." Sakon said with a nod. "Naw, I'm just a thief. Don't pay me any mind, I'm only watching."

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes even further, his pointed teeth showing briefly as he bit his lip in frustration. "Ghirahim." he corrected again.

"Jerooheem."

"Geer-rah-heem." Ghirahim said slowly, clearly frustrated.

"Ghirahim." Sakon repeated with a grin, proud that he'd gotten in right.

Ghirahim instantly didn't like the thief and decided to make a point to kill him when he was done with Link. Anyone he allowed to live, had to be worthy of slavery and no one in the room currently met the criteria. Clenching his fists, Ghirahim released some of his energy, a purple glow surrounding him as he concentrated it into a ball of energy. Thrusting his hands into the air, the energy shattered in to hundreds small, sharp daggers.

Link's eyes widened in horror, knowing he'd never be able to dodge them. His eyes going over to Sakon, he yelled out.

"Give me your crossbow!"

Sakon frowned at him. "It's mine, I found it fair and square."

"Do you really think we have time to argue about this?" Link snarled, pointing at Ghirahim, who was drawing up another ball of energy.

"Fine." Sakon said petulantly. "I'll lend it to you but I want it back when you're done."

Link wasn't sure whether Sakon just didn't realize how dangerous of a situation they were in or whether he just had full confidence in Link's abilities. Either way, Link really wished he would leave and take The Postman with him. He watched as Sakon pulled the crossbow and arrows out of his backpack and tossed them over to Link just as Ghirahim finished creating his second energy ball.

Ghirahim split the energy so now there were hundreds and hundreds of daggers everywhere. He gave Link a smirk, knowing that the moment he let the daggers fly, everyone in the room would be cut to shreds. Sakon eyed the daggers nervously and backed up a few steps.

"Um, Link you may want to go ahead and do your thing now..."

Link gave the thief a glare but was already in the process of loading an arrow. Holding up his shield, Link backed up, waiting for a good shot to come. Ghirahim's attention was already fully on the hero so Sakon grabbed The Postman by the back of the shirt, forcibly dragging him towards the door.

"I haven't delivered the letter yet!" The Postman protested angrily as he fought to get away. "Sakon, stop it!"

"Darling, if we stay, I guarantee you'll never be able to deliver that thing." the thief responded casually. "Death has a way of disrupting one's schedule."

"But-"

"Come on." Sakon said, now almost to the door.

Ghirahim now noticed what they were up to and with a wave of his hand, the door swung closed and locked. "You're not going anywhere, little stalker. I have big plans for you once I'm done with the skychild."

Sakon held up his hands showing they were empty. "See? We're no threat. We'll stay out of your way while you two have fun."

Ghirahim shook his head. "No, thief, you will die here today. You've involved yourself in this so you will pay the price. No one dares to-ACK"

Ghirahim cut off as an arrow struck his chest and fell back a step. Looking down at the crack in his skin, he turned furious eyes up at Link who was busy reloading another arrow.

"You'll pay for that." Ghirahim hissed, flicking his wrist towards the hero.

Instantly dozens upon dozens of daggers shot at Link, who raised his shield and began running and dodging what he could. Many of the daggers nicked him but he still raised the crossbow to take aim. Daggers bouncing off his shield, Link rolled and released the trigger, the arrow flying fast and it struck Ghirahim hard in the chest. Ghirahim stumbled back in shock, almost losing his balance and looked down at his horribly damaged chest in anger. Baring his teeth in a snarl, he flicked his hand and all the daggers shot towards Link.

Link barely had time to react and he threw himself behind a column just in time as the hundreds of daggers struck the wall and column with a loud clang. The Postman and Sakon were behind the other column in the room and both were peering out as Ghirahim let out a yell of outrage and began forming a new energy ball. Link took a deep breath as he reloaded the crossbow and knew Ghirahim was in a complete rage now. Whenever villains got to this state, they were a lot harder to fight but were also more vulnerable since they didn't think clearly.

Taking a deep breath, Link readied himself then charged out from behind the column, shield and crossbow at the ready. Shooting off the arrow, Link drew his sword as it hit its mark and Ghirahim let out an infuriated howl. He ran straight at Ghirahim who let the energy dissolve in favour of blocking Link's attack, the villain's eyes wild with rage. One hand on the sword, Ghirahim gave Link a hard kick, knocking him to the floor and made his own long black sword appear.

"You will pay, skychild." Ghirahim growled out, his white eyes narrowed to mere slits. "You will die."

Link rolled to his feet just in time to block Ghirahim's attack and winced from the force. His arms shook from stopping such a powerful attack and Link knew Ghirahim was too strong to take any hits from. One single slice would be more than enough to slice him in two.

Link lashed out with his own sword and the demon nimbly jumped away, taking a swing of his own. Link dodged the attack and gave another swing, Ghirahim meeting the attack in a shower of sparks. Link felt pain lance straight up to his shoulders and realized the attack had almost shattered his arms. Wincing from the pain, Link ducked beneath another attack and slashed out with his own sword. Ghirahim blocked him and sent him flying backwards, Link hitting the floor hard. Ghirahim charged at him in a rage and stabbed down at the hero, Link barely rolling out of the way in time. Ghirahim swung at him over and over, his teeth clenched in a snarl and eyes glinting red just for a moment. The demon was in a fit of bloodlust and Link could see how sloppy he was becoming in his attacks and continued dodging, waiting for his opportunity.

Ghirahim was getting angrier and angrier every time he missed and swung faster and faster, his black sword a blur. Link got nicked across one of his shoulders and as Ghirahim lunged at him, dropped to the floor to avoid it. Ghirahim's arms reached far over Link's head, unable to stop from the momentum and Link saw his chance. Throwing himself forward with a cry, Link stabbed his sword into Ghirahim's chest.

The demon froze, his sword falling to the floor with a clatter and he slowly looked down. His eyes wide with pain, Ghirahim touched the sword protruding from his chest then sank to the floor, wheezing hard. Link, his face a mask of determination, twisted the sword causing Ghirahim to let out a cry of pure agony then Link yanked the sword free from the chest. Ghirahim fell back limply, his eyes barely open as he struggled to breath, his gaze entirely on Link. Link stared down at him with a frown then raised his sword for the final blow.

"WAIT!"

Link paused and glanced over at The Postman who was approaching, letter still in hand. Link sighed but stepped back to indulge him, sword at the ready just in case. The Postman knelt down next to Ghirahim and held out the letter as the demon simply stared at him.

"I have a letter for you, Mr. Ghirahim." he said. "Please accept it."

Ghirahim blinked heavily then very slowly reached out, his arm shaking. His fingers closed over the letter and with great difficulty he slowly unfolded the paper. As he read the letter, Ghirahim started to chuckle then to everyone's surprise he outright laughed which quickly turned into a wet sounding cough. His eyes were clearly amused and he looked up at The Postman almost wistfully.

"How interesting my life is." he said, his voice weak and cracking. "Tell Ganondorf okay. Tell him that for me, postman."

The Postman gave him a salute. "Yes, sir."

Still chuckling to himself, Ghirahim allowed his eyes to close. As they watched, he took one more shaky breath then went still, his hand releasing the letter which fell to the floor. Link sheathed his sword, giving Ghirahim one last look before turning away with a relieved sigh. The Postman looked down at Ghirahim a moment then turned towards the door, his job done. Sakon, who was still behind the column ran to catch up with him.

"Can we go home now?" Sakon demanded as they left the room. "I'm hungry and tired of almost dying."

The Postman gave him an amused smile. "Yeah, we can leave now."

Link trailed a bit after them, exhausted and glad the whole thing was over with. The moment they entered the jungle, they were bombarded by the Kokiri and Link gave them a wide smile.

"Did you do it? Did you defeat him?" Mido asked, hopefully.

Link gave a nod.

All the Kokiri let out a loud cheer, large smiles on every child's face.

"Are we going home now?" Saria asked Link, taking him by the hand.

Again, Link nodded and she gave him a beaming grin.

"Uh, not to be a mood-killer or anything, but how are you going to get them home?" Sakon asked. "Unless your Loftwing is super-strong, I don't think it's going to happen..."

Link paused, realizing the thief was right. He had no way to get them home. The Postman who seemed eager to leave made a suggestion.

"Perhaps the monster will carry them down? He's already taking Sakon and myself so he probably wouldn't mind."

Link frowned, not liking that idea at all but couldn't think of any other way. "How is it going to get you down?" he asked.

"It has wings." Sakon stated. "And gimme back my crossbow before you get too attached to it."

Link handed it over and Sakon immediately stuffed it into his backpack. "You owe me three arrows." he said, matter-of-factly.

Link didn't even bother dignifying that with a response. "Can you ask the monster whether he'd be willing to help?" Link asked The Postman.

The Postman gave a nod and turned to head towards the monster, Sakon following after him cheerfully.

"This adventure wasn't a total loss." Sakon said. "I did get a new crossbow and also quite a few things from Skyloft. Not as big of a haul as I would've liked but still pretty good."

The Postman didn't answer, his eyes focussed ahead, just wanting to leave.

"If it's as dry and dusty down there as Link said, I'm going to refill by canteen before we go." Sakon said. "I'll meet you over there, I'm just going to fill it at the waterfall."

The Postman gave a nod, as Sakon scampered off into the jungle, and headed towards the shattered wall of the greenhouse. He could see the monster huddled outside at the islands edge staring down intently and he approached.

"Sir?" The Postman called out.

The monster turned its heads to look at him. "There you are, little virgin, I was beginning to worry. Are you ready to leave?"

"Just about, sir." The Postman said politely. "I was just wondering if it would be possible for you to take the Kokiri with us as well. They have no way home."

"You're pushing it." the monster told him. "But I will do this one favour for you. I'll carry the Kokiri as well you and the defiled one."

The Postman nodded gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

Link, who had been listening, came through the broken wall, the Kokiri at his heels and gave the monster an uncertain look. The monster narrowed its eyes at him but otherwise didn't acknowledge him.

"Will it take us home?" Link asked The Postman.

It was the monster who answered. "I will take them home but not you. You attacked me and I will not help you."

Saria started to protest but Link raised a hand to silence her. "It's alright." he replied. "I can get home on my own. Just promise me no harm will come to my friends."

The monster let out a snort. "I would not harm them., they are only children."

Link gave a nod then turned to The Postman. "Take care of the Kokiri, postman, please make sure they get home safely."

Although it wasn't a part of his job description, The Postman gave the hero a nod. Now that he had delivered all his mail, he knew he could spare a bit of time to help the Kokiri. Only a moment later, Sakon appeared out of the jungle, stuffing his canteen back into his backpack.

"Okay, I'm ready to go!" he announced with a happy grin.

The monster gave him a disapproving scowl but didn't say anything. Link gave one last hug to the Kokiri then ran for the edge of the island and jumped off. As he plummeted, he gave a shrill whistle and just a moment later, his Loftwing caught him. As he flew off out of sight, Sakon frowned.

"Yeah, I won't be doing that with Zigzag." he stated with a shudder.

He didn't have a chance to say anything more as the monster reached out and grabbed each of them with a tentacle. Without a single word, the monster spread its wings and jumped off the side of the island.

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The Gerudo army surged towards Lake Hylia, Ganondorf on the front lines, sword drawn and visor down. The Zoras wore armour of leather and steel, spears and swords at the ready, blocking the way to the water. Ruto headed the army in her father's place, her armour that of royalty and her expression determined.

Ganondorf let out a roar and waved for his Gerudos to head straight for them and the Gerudos held up their weapons and charged with every intention of annihilating anything in their path. The Zoras braced themselves, knowing this was a fight to the death.

Just as the Gerudos had almost reached the other army, there was a deafening roar from above and everyone froze in surprise. Looking up, they saw an enormous monster flying down fast towards them and many yelled out in fear and confusion. The monster landed between the two armies and Ganondorf dismounted, and began summoning what magic he had left in order to attack. As he stalked closer, he paused when he saw several people on the monster's back. Squinting, he recognized the white uniform of The Postman and lowered his sword in surprise.

The Postman slid down off the monster's back and Ganondorf now saw that he had the Kokiri with him. The children also slid down to the ground and the moment their feet touched the soil there was a rumble in the sky. Everyone looked up as the sky darkened and then were overjoyed as it began to rain. The rain was heavy and hard, instantly soaking everything and everyone. Both Gerudo and Zora alike cheered and Ganondorf slowly removed his helmet. Closing his eyes a moment as the rain soaked into him, he let out a deep breath of relief, tension leaving him instantly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ganondorf."

Ganondorf opened his eyes and looked down at The Postman who stood before him.

"I delivered your letter, sir." he stated. "Ghirahim's response to it was 'okay'."

Ganondorf allowed a slight smile to cross his face, as the rain nourished everything around them. "Good job, postman." he stated.

The Postman beamed at the praise. No matter how hard or how long it took for a delivery, it always made it seem worth it to him when someone seemed genuinely pleased with him. Turning away, he began heading away from the lake with Sakon and the Kokiri following after him.

"I think we all deserve a vacation." Sakon said with a stretch. "Wanna go with me to Snowhead?"

The Postman shook his head. "Tomorrow's Monday and another mail day." he replied. "A postman can never neglect his duties."

As Sakon followed after him, all he could do was shake his head in disbelief. "You're incorrigible!"

The Postman simply smiled.

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**That's it for part three, folks! :D**

**I do have an idea for part four if you guys are interested. Just let me know if you guys want a part 4 or whether you'd prefer me to write something else. I'm always up for suggestions!  
**

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you think! I value all of my reviews!  
**

**Thanks for reading, everyone!  
**


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